From: allin
SpaceX and Astronaut Rescue Mission
SpaceX successfully rescued two astronauts who had been stranded in space [01:13:06]. This mission occurred after the astronauts had been stuck for nine months due to the Boeing Starliner debacle [01:13:41]. Upon landing, dolphins were seen breaching around the capsule, creating a “magical” scene [01:13:08].
Boeing’s Starliner Debacle and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon
The Starliner program, which had spent significantly more than the Crew Dragon program, is now considered “done” [01:14:00]. In contrast, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon program has completed 16 crewed flights to space [01:14:02]. These flights include 11 for NASA and four private commercial missions [01:14:08]. The Crew Dragon continues to perform successfully [01:14:12].
SpaceX’s Cost-Effectiveness
Despite discussions about potential conflicts of interest related to Elon Musk’s involvement with SpaceX and its relationship with the administration [01:14:24], the reduction in cost achieved by SpaceX is highlighted as making such concerns “ridiculous” [01:14:46]. It is noted that no other entity is close to matching SpaceX’s cost for space access [01:14:51].
The company is considered the “absolute cheapest in the market” and consistently able to reduce costs [01:17:18]. Other alternatives like Blue Origin and Relativity Space are years away from offering comparable services [01:17:57].
Political and Societal Implications
The handling of the stranded astronauts became a political issue [01:15:27]. There was a sentiment that America should not abandon its people, especially in space, and that the delay in engaging SpaceX was inexcusable [01:15:52]. The astronauts themselves reportedly confirmed that Elon Musk offered assistance [01:18:52].
The success of private enterprises like SpaceX is seen as inspiring for future generations [01:16:11]. The “space race” is now framed as a competition between SpaceX’s platform and China’s space program, which has developed a rocket design comparable to SpaceX’s Starship [01:19:21].