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Bezos next project
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Just think how many Vets and kids with major sickness could have been helped for that joy ride.
Just think how many families with sick kids and Vets earned an honest paycheck and privately funded their own health insurance by being employed for that joy ride.
To each according to his need, comrade?
Brad Steele
...Bezos gives more to charities than a lot of people earn in a year...
...The guy earned his money on his own, nobody just handed it to him... he can spend it all on Tootsie Pops if he wants to...it's not my business or concern,,,
...Hell, OUR Government wastes enough money to cure the common cold...and they get "their" money from US, they sure don't earn it...
Politically I think Bezos is a flaming commie, libtard idiot. But if I don't take the position of "It is his money, he can do what he wants with it" than I am no more than a share the wealth commie.
Since I am not a share the wealth commie I say spend YOUR money anyway you want Jeff. Have a good time doing it.
The historical "American Dream" was and still is to become rich - not to confiscate from the rich.
I cannot comprehend how any ultra-successful person can advocate a political system that prevents people from succeeding, unless they assume that they'd be among the very few who benefit from such a system.
As this thread trends towards politics, however, I will not add to it any further.
Taking a cue from Rocky, I won’t wade into the conversation about earning, but as for spending…
I suspect all of us spend money on “unnecessary” things. I know I do. It’s my personal choice…part of that thing called freedom. So, keep flying space tourist!
Bezos started his company as a used book marketplace..........I filled out many collections back when it was...........me morphed it into what it is now. He did it honestly. Now he can spend his money honestly.
I think its kind of cool, what he did. I like the idea of people building stuff and doing whith it what the USGOV can't do anymore.
He put his money where his mouth is..................good job!!
I see the FAA is saying he is not an astronaut because the ship was controlled from the ground. I would agrue then that the Mercury and Gemini guys weren't astronaut's either and maybe the some of the Apollo missions too.
Thank you, Sam, for rescuing the thread from politics.
I saw that news item. The FAA has changed their requirements to get Commercial Astronaut Wings, adding the requirement that crewmembers have to have some task related to spacecraft safety or operation in order to qualify. Bezos' New Shepard craft is autonomous (NOT ground controlled) under computer control. The people in it have no controls, switches, or other means to control the craft. They are literally passengers only. No different from airline passengers.
Under the new rules, none of them qualify for astronaut status. Nor do paying passengers aboard Branson's sub-orbital rocket plane, although the two pilots do qualify.
That's exactly the qualification I argued for earlier here. To qualify as an astronaut, you not only have to pass the Karmann Line, but must have crew duties. All NASA astronauts to date pass that test, even the earliest sub-orbital Mercury flights by Shepard and Grissom.
Americas first "Spaceman" crossed the Karmann line in 1956; Iven Carl Kincheloe Jr. Fighter ace, test pilot, Mackay trophy winner and all American Badass.
He did it in the Bell X-2.
He was killed in 1958 so I don't know if Rocky knew him.
BTW your welcome Rocky.
I knew that, Sam. I read a book about him and the other X-series pilots way back when. Awesome stuff. Thanks for letting other readers know.
When I was a kid(I'm 61 now) the X-15 stuff and the space race was what we talked about and wanted to watch on TV. I think my generation was more intrested in going to space and exploring other planets than any other generation. Astronauts were real Hero's, we even gave respect to Yuri Gagarin.
It was about adventure and knowledge..............now its about money and leaving earth before the planet dies from climate change.
We piled a lot of money into space and have gotten a huge return with computers and other things but I was really disappointed when barry basically dissolved NASA. Its good to see these rich guys pick up the stick and start running.
NASA has a launch set this week.
Yes and no. It's actually Boeing's launch of their CST-100 crew capsule aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas rocket. The Boeing capsule is supposed to be an alternate astronaut taxi in case there's a problem with the SpaceX Crew Dragon. Both capsules are designed to carry NASA astronauts, but it isn't strictly speaking a NASA launch. Since the Space Shuttle retirement almost a decade ago, NASA hasn't had a launch vehicle of any kind. They can only buy passage to space now, for crews or payloads.
The first unmanned flight of the Boeing capsule was a near failure due to some terrible computer issues. This one is supposed to launch and link up with the Space Station autonomously - assuming they fixed all the computer issues. Boeing is now about two years behind SpaceX in the manned flight race. SpaceX has flown three crewed missions, is readying for a fourth, and even has an all-civilian tourist launch to orbit coming up in September.
What Bezos and Musk are doing is cool..............but they and their passengers are just that........passengers.
True for Bezos, but not Musk/SpaceX. The SpaceX Crew Dragon crew all have duties to perform, and can take manual control if required.
You may have meant to say Bezos and Branson and merely had a brain burp. If so, you are pretty much correct.
No matter their politics or personalities pretty awesome that private citizens were able to go up in space on their own doing.
Some folks on Earth are walking around in Space