Sam

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@nssnmp5ffk @DieMidwestern @TSoS_ I'm not saying there is or isn't. I'm just saying the franchise has hardly abided by the rules of gravity. So singling out one film/ship design when others are also just as egregious is not a fair take. That's all. Not a big fan of SW anymore anyway.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@Arkshol93 @BSF42069 @mightbejell0 Blue doesn't just produce rockets, they are working on other infrastructure such as Landers, BlueRing, BlueReef, The ISRU regilith converters for air/solar panels. Not saying SpX don't do all this other stuff in the background too. It's just Blue also runs these programs.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@Sundancing_ Woah did you make the cute little rover?

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@ThePrimalDino Part of me wonders whether SpaceX won the argument for full autonomy with HLS and that's why they wont do anything for A3 beyond the docking. Whereas Blue Moon has shown it will have flight controls. I remember the OIG report going on about that stuff 2/2

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@ThePrimalDino I could maybe understand it for Prox Ops and practicing approaching a vehicle of that size, but then yeah beyond that what's the point...

I'd argue the huge internal volume would be the biggest thing crews would want to test and checkout to make sure it was good before A4 1/2

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@ThePrimalDino I like how you can see the MK1 components and MK2 components have come together for a demonstrator/interim lander. Or maybe its the final design if they are just doing LLO?

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@Blobifie Is this not just a demonstrator, not the final MK2 design? Both Blue and (especially) SpaceX are cutting corners to get something ready for A3. So it's understandable the designs are "under cooked". But if it's true SpX HLS won't support crew transfer then that's rough...

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@mathsboi42 People thinking its going to make every other rocket obsolete are silly. It's like using a Bulldozer in place of a Scalpel. But the Bulldozer is great for the job it performs and in this case it will be mass to orbit/mass to surface on the Moon or with huge satellite networks.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@mathsboi42 Sure its going to be a great asset for the future of space flight, but people seem to just view rockets the wrong way. They are tools, and not every tool is right for every job. You wouldn't launch a Mars rover on Starship for example. It has its place, but so do other rockets.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@davill RTF 2026 BE THERE!

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@____Thor____ @RektTangular @Whateverface381 And not to use a stupid talking point... but Starship has also failed to do this by definition and will probably not do so for the next 2 flights due to the relighting of the RVACs to prove capable. I think Blue probably has them covered this year. It's 2027 it swings back to SpX

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@rah_66_comanche I didn't say it would be "really hard" I just said that until they focus on changing the design there's a reason that some of the market won't see Starship as a viable platform even if its more than capable in the lift and reusability department.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@rah_66_comanche Plus the integration of some satellites require very different conditions than what Starship/Starbase provides. I don't think it's a bad thing that Starship makes more sense as an internal use case than for wider industry in its current state. SpaceX need it more right now.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@rah_66_comanche Unless everyone starts designing satellites that can be deployed out of the pez dispenser system it's probably just going to be Starlinks being the main payload for the vehicle (near future). Fairings vs Payload bay is the issue they face with regard to the industry and customers

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@ScottLikedSLS Don't Starlink payloads need to go almost 2/3x that altitude? And the ship will need extra fuel to deorbit itself once they figure out relighting the raptors.

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@bittner_jameson @eccorca Shouldn't they just watch the SpaceX stream then?

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@rexthundercock @ScottLikedSLS There's more hurdles to a long duration deep space journey and Mars flyby than just getting refuelling working

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@ThePrimalDino Secure the bag David!!!

[Sam @KerbalSC48]

@pintleinjector @Orbital_Perigee Tbf once they whip Northrop Grumman back in line for the GEM failures they have plenty of cores to start hitting a decent cadence.