Jeff Bezos launches into space today!

stroopwafel

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As if establishing the biggest company on earth wasn't enough today is the day in which Bezos flies beyond the Karman line in his own rocket(!).

Apparently one of the passengers who paid 25 million dollars for a seat cancelled because he/she had something better to do so Jeff gave the ticket to an 18-year old Dutch schoolboy. Who said Jeff only cares about money?


 

Agema

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As if establishing the biggest company on earth wasn't enough today is the day in which Bezos flies beyond the Karman line in his own rocket(!).
Question is, would I be upset if he never came back down?

Apparently one of the passengers who paid 25 million dollars for a seat cancelled because he/she had something better to do so Jeff gave the ticket to an 18-year old Dutch schoolboy. Who said Jeff only cares about money?
That reminds me of one of Arnold Schwartenegger's jokes, to paraphrase: "I am proof that money doesn't give you happiness. Last year I had $48 million. This year I have $50 million, and I'm no happier".
 

laggyteabag

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Imagine spending $25m on something, just to drop out last-minute. Rich people live on another planet.

I guess that is even closer to being literal, now.
 

The Rogue Wolf

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"What's that? There are literally billions of people suffering here on Earth who would benefit greatly from all the money I'm blowing on this pointless jaunt? Who cares?! I wanna go to spaaaaaaace."
 

Chimpzy

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One massive dick shooting off into space ... inside of another massive dick.

Seriously, if you told me that rocket was modeled after his dick, I'd be like "well duh!"
 
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Agema

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I hope he stays in space for the rest of his life.
With 2 hours worth of oxygen supply?

"What's that? There are literally billions of people suffering here on Earth who would benefit greatly from all the money I'm blowing on this pointless jaunt? Who cares?! I wanna go to spaaaaaaace."
Or, indeed, you have a pressing other appointment.

And a little part of me wonders whether that pressing appointment is a spouse/child etc. saying "Are you f***ing crazy? Have you not noticed Musk's rockets keep blowing up? Think about your goddamn family and stop taking unnecessary risks you idiot."
 
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Drathnoxis

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Wow, 25 million for a 25 minute thrill ride. What a waste of money. You'd have to pay me to climb into a rocket and get blasted off.
 

Seanchaidh

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With 2 hours worth of oxygen supply?
Whether minutes or months, just so long as he stays up there.

edit:

oh, this is another one of those BS suborbital flights? Sure, you're in space technically, but a ballistic trajectory isn't even on Sputnik's level. pffffffffffff

Minutes, then.
 

stroopwafel

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They succeeded in their trip. Anyway you put it it's pretty impressive technology that a store owner, a granny and a schoolboy can make it past the Karman line and safely return to the designated spot with even the booster having flown back autonomously. This is the true first space tourism.
 

Agema

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They succeeded in their trip. Anyway you put it it's pretty impressive technology that a store owner, a granny and a schoolboy can make it past the Karman line and safely return to the designated spot with even the booster having flown back autonomously. This is the true first space tourism.
In a way, I totally get it.

One of the perks of being rich is doing things other people can't. In fact I think the principle of exclusivity is a major part of the satisfaction involved for them. It's a means of setting themselves apart, having experiences other people can't. If you were to have exactly the same activity except the poor could also afford it, they'd be far less interested. If anyone could pay $5000 for one of these orbital flights, few multimillionaires would bother.

And probably just as these flights don't cost $5000: the environmental cost would be awful. At least there's a good chance that the greenhouse gases we release at ground level can get absorbed by stuff at ground level. Dumping them straight into the upper atmosphere, however...
 

stroopwafel

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In a way, I totally get it.

One of the perks of being rich is doing things other people can't. In fact I think the principle of exclusivity is a major part of the satisfaction involved for them. It's a means of setting themselves apart, having experiences other people can't. If you were to have exactly the same activity except the poor could also afford it, they'd be far less interested. If anyone could pay $5000 for one of these orbital flights, few multimillionaires would bother.

And probably just as these flights don't cost $5000: the environmental cost would be awful. At least there's a good chance that the greenhouse gases we release at ground level can get absorbed by stuff at ground level. Dumping them straight into the upper atmosphere, however...
Maybe that's true but the interest of billionaires in space travel have also made rockets incredibly safe to the point that people with zero experience in piloting jet aircraft(or any aircraft) and without advanced engineering degrees can now make suborbital flights. There is always a margin of risk but it's a fraction of what it was in the '60s. I think this launch has really shown how technology is now able to take human decision taking aboard the craft out of the equation which(in theory) democratizes space travel. Bezos/Musk/Branson really revitalized human space travel something that has been dormant for decades other than return trips to the ISS. Untill the SpaceX launch of last year the U.S. couldn't even do that and still relied on launches of the Sojoez after it put the shuttle program out of commission.

Human space travel have made great progress thanks to those billionaires though unfortunately it will remain unaffordable for atleast probably decades for the vast majority of people. I would love a roundtrip in Bezos' rocket but I doubt it will ever happen unless I win the lottery or some shit *sigh*
 

Agema

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Maybe that's true but the interest of billionaires in space travel have also made rockets incredibly safe to the point that people with zero experience in piloting jet aircraft(or any aircraft) and without advanced engineering degrees can now make suborbital flights. There is always a margin of risk but it's a fraction of what it was in the '60s. I think this launch has really shown how technology is now able to take human decision taking aboard the craft out of the equation which(in theory) democratizes space travel. Bezos/Musk/Branson really revitalized human space travel something that has been dormant for decades other than return trips to the ISS. Untill the SpaceX launch of last year the U.S. couldn't even do that and still relied on launches of the Sojoez after it put the shuttle program out of commission.
I think it might be fairer to say that these billionaires have oligarchised space. Democracy might arrive sometime later.

Musk might be doing something interesting. Bezos and Branson are fiddling around in ways I suspect may be a dead end. But what I think has really revitalised space exploration is China. The USA and Russia didn't much care because they kind of realised there wasn't that much to do up there worth the resources. But China has a vision and is pushing, and the USA has consequently felt the need to respond - with much of its head start still in place. Russia thereby feels compelled to also turn its efforts to space, hence it pulling out of the ISS. Like the USA it may have a headstart, but there's no way it has the resources to keep up and will be destined to spend a ton for ultimate failure.