20 replies to this topic

[BlueMound]

Elon Musk says SpaceX still growing in Texas, plans rocket engine factory near Waco
https://www.google.c.../amp/7927169002
The new McGregor facility will produce roughly 800 to 1,000 rocket engines per year, or about two to four engines per day, according to Musk. By big rocket engine standards, the amount is "super high volume" and would make it the highest output and most advanced rocket engine factory in the world, Musk said.

[renamerusk]

Musk, Bezos, Branson and Zuckeberg are all beginning to look creepy to me!

[Stadtplan]

1,000 rocket engines per year? Is this in order to send endless amounts of satellites into orbit?

https://www.starlink.com/

[elpingüino]

According to the story in the original post, "Musk said the engines will be needed for a fleet of rockets to be used over a 10-year period to create the city [on Mars]."

[BlueMound]

The first stage booster will need 33 raptor engines.
The second stage starship will need 3 raptor engines + 6 vacuum raptor engines.
So, each rocket uses 42 total engines.
The vacuum engines will be made in Calif. and the raptor engines will be made outside Waco.

[txbornviking]

I would certainly not hold my breath expecting anything near 1000 rocket engines per year ever being produced.

At least space rocket engines

[Austin55]

Exciting times for the Texas Triangle. 

[renamerusk]

What may I ask is the Texas Triangle?

[roverone]

Texas Triangle:

 

https://en.wikipedia...ounties_map.svg

[renamerusk]

Yes, that is was I "thunk", but I don't see how the TT is relevant in this discussion.

 

Say something.

[Stadtplan]

If it is a considerable sized construction effort, they're going to most certainly need to pull labor from Austin and DFW.  Waco is just not equipped to handle big projects like McLane Stadium or Hillcrest Baptist on its own trades labor.  TAMU is in the same boat like on Kyle Field Renovation.

[renamerusk]

Ok. So laborers in Austin and DFW are relocating to Waco? Nothing against Waco; it was the "big city" to my grandparents who lived SE of Waco and would take us up there to shop.  However,  I doubt if it will become more attractive than FW/North Texas or Austin because of Spacex. You might have people from out of state who are yet to be established in Texas  and who will relocate to Waco.

 

Just my take.

[Stadtplan]

More of the out-of-town traveling workers. Not enough big projects in Waco to sustain a large workforce long term. I know one of the superintendents who worked on McLane Stadium and he drove back and forth everyday to the jobsite from DFW. If you have watched Fixer Upper I think a few contestants were rocket scientists having relocated to Waco with a wad of cash in their pockets. I imagine their property values are going up if they havent already.

[renamerusk]

Why are we celebrating or fascinated with this Billionaires' wasteful race to space.

 

Crushing student loan debt; money needed to vax billions of earthlings; money needed to save cities from becoming inundated by rising sea level; housing too expensive for the average person; health care and Rx causing personal bankruptcy.  I'm sure the human race can come up with something more important than a egotistical race for only a very very few humans who can afford the experience.

 

These billionaires are for the most part creepy; they are also unwilling to reveal the manifest of the cowardly people who have the luxury of and will pay $200,000 - 250,000 for a "3-hour Tour" ride into the upper atmosphere. What ever happened to the Warren Buffets?

 

First thing first, send a rescue team to bring back those stranded on Gilligan's Island.

[roverone]

We are celebrating that individuals are willing to invest in science in ways that NASA no longer can, and I'm certain that it will bring benefits to many people in unexpected ways because they are pushing forward in new directions that require thousands of little solutions that are applicable to other types of problems.

 

It would be easy to project your thinking forward that there should be only one set of priorities for every dollar spent.  You list honorable goals, and people are working on solutions for those, but there is no reason why the dollars used for private space missions are somehow more wasted than the $1.3B used to build a football stadium or run a sports empire.

 

People who push things forward are not the balanced-life people, they are the people who are willing to pour in their time and talent and money in irrational-looking ways to achieve amazing things.  I will not shame them for spending money essentially on science just because there is a measure bravado involved.

[renamerusk]

Thank you for your explaining your reason to celebrate. I will accept that we can disagree about the worthiness of the Billionaires' Space Race.

[johnfwd]

I see the commercialization of space travel as an evolutionary process that was initiated by government.  The public sector's initiative was necessary in the late 1950s for reasons that include undertaking a highly technologically complex and financially expensive endeavor that the private sector would likely have been risk-averse in in undertaking.  Of course, it was also a cooperative venture involving academia and private contractors.

 

Let's not forget that in a capitalist free-market system, private billionaires can spend their money any way they so choose.  I applaud the likes of Branson, Musk, and Bezos for choosing to spend money on commercialization of space travel.  And I wish one of these billionaires would set up shop in Fort Worth.

[txbornviking]

I see the commercialization of space travel as an evolutionary process that was initiated by government.  The public sector's initiative was necessary in the late 1950s for reasons that include undertaking a highly technologically complex and financially expensive endeavor that the private sector would likely have been risk-averse in in undertaking.  Of course, it was also a cooperative venture involving academia and private contractors.

 

Let's not forget that in a capitalist free-market system, private billionaires can spend their money any way they so choose.  I applaud the likes of Branson, Musk, and Bezos for choosing to spend money on commercialization of space travel.  And I wish one of these billionaires would set up shop in Fort Worth.

 

From 2004 until it's folding earlier this year, Robert Bass had been a backer of Aerion Corporation's attempt to bring back supersonic commercial travel.

[renamerusk]

"I want to thank the workers at Amazon and all you Amazon customers who made this trip possible".

 

I still stand by my comments on July 13, 2021.  

[roverone]

Although he might have used more sensitive language, he made the effort to call us out.  He has spent billions of dollars of personal money on this project.  Also, tens of millions of Americans have benefited from the infrastructure of being able to purchase through Amazon during the pandemic.

 

When is the last time that anyone has thanked me for paying my property or income taxes? -- the latter being what might ordinarily pay for space exploration...

 

You might hate him because he is rich, but he has activated a huge number of things that government entities have not been able to.

 

Again, like him or not, I will not shame him for spending money on science that our government will not spend money on.

[renamerusk]

Stop..full stop!

 

Once again you are hero worshiping without asking yourself is this for good of mankind or for further enrichment.

 

I know what creeps me out whether it be rich or poor.  I never used the word "hate" in expressing my feelings towards Bezos (Amazon 2 scammer), Zuckberg (enabler of falsities) or Branson (lifestyles of the rich). I called them creepy.

 

I admire Gates and Buffett who each pledged to give away their wealth and make generous donations on endeavors for the good of mankind across the globe.

 

Now go and open your bottle of champagne.