Does SpaceX have a role in furthering the frontier of space exploration? Neil deGrasse Tyson addresses comments on SpaceX’s trip to Mars, the role of public versus private enterprise in space exploration, and whether companies can afford to take the risks needed in space travel.
00:00 – Introduction: On Elon
00:46 – SpaceX vs. NASA
03:43 – Advancing Frontiers in Private Enterprise
6:18 – SpaceX’s Trip to Mars
7:30 – Artemis and Our Return to the Moon
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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Do you think private companies like SpaceX are better positioned than government agencies to take the risks needed for deep space exploration, and why?
Well they do have different goals… so i think private parties have more interest to reach history than some political figures that just want to keep power on his hands
Depends on where the funding is coming from. Without the government signing the checks, SpaceX wouldn’t exist.
Big yes
easily.
Didn’t you say that FElon… Elon received a contract by NASA. So he is government funded and being directed by the government at a greater cost.
Anything NDG spews out of his biased mouth should fall on deaf ears. A classic example of narcissistic mr self-righteous piece of crap
I’m all for the idea of the government paying reasonable price for private companies to deliver people and cargo to space. Incentive for private innovation and jobs is fantastic. I don’t like the idea of the government giving money to private companies to develop new technologies then those private companies having sole ownership of that new tech. If tax dollars go toward it, any developments made need to be owned by the tax paying public who funded it. I think space x has fallen way behind what they were contracted to provide for the Artemis missions and without a lot more money, they aren’t going to be able to fulfill that contract which will be problematic. There’s no reason for NASA not to be the spearhead the plunges into space and private sector to take that new technology and find ways to make it economical. It just doesn’t seem practical to have tax payer funded, privately owned companies trying to lead the charge into space while also trying to turn a profit while doing it; I think we’re seeing the failure of that model right now.
Government Accountability office reported: SpaceX’s work on HLS was going at a slower pace than projected, taking more than half the overall schedule to reach the preliminary design review milestone, versus an average of 35% for major NASA projects. SpaceX has delayed “multiple key events,” not specified in the report, from 2023 to 2024, compressing the remaining schedule.
The 2025 mission is predicted to be pushed back to 2027. And there’s just glaring problems.
If you’re interested in the next planned stage of human space exploration, this video is fantastic overview for laymen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoJsPvmFixU
Criticize an influential right winger, expect attacks on every front