We're back.... did ya miss us?

[Ventucky Red]

USA landed on the moon again after a 50-year absence... sure we can say been there and done that, but still pretty cool to "geek-out" on...

 

[DavidWhite]

I’m glad younger generations are going to get to experience the thrill of watching a human step foot on a different celestial body. Pretty awesome stuff.

 

[asicer]

USA landed on the moon again after a 50-year absence... sure we can say been there and done that, but still pretty cool to "geek-out" on...

Is it fair to say "we" if it's a private company?

 

[Chip Sylverne]

Is it fair to say "we" if it's a private company?

Speaking of which, what's the profit opportunity this company is trying to exploit? I mean, other than government contracting.

 

[Lindberg]

Is it fair to say "we" if it's a private company?

We paid for it

 

[3393RP]

Speaking of which, what's the profit opportunity this company is trying to exploit? I mean, other than government contracting.

They were paid $118 million by NASA. I eagerly await news of the benefits to mankind.

 

[Racerx]

 

[luvflyin]

They were paid $118 million by NASA. I eagerly await news of the benefits to mankind.

 

[asicer]

We paid for it

I hope we bought an extended warranty.

 

[Domenick]

They were paid $118 million by NASA. I eagerly await news of the benefits to mankind.

In the short term as civilizations go, we will be mining resources. In the midterm, the moon is a lower cost launch point and fueling station for excursions farther out, such as mining the asteroid belt.

I think the most interesting thing about the NOVA-C program is it is a recognition by NASA a commercial enterprise can do what NASA can do in a third of the time and for a fraction of the money.

Of all the things government wastes/misappropriates/subsidizes our taxpayer money on, a robust space program for a paltry 25B dollars a year should be low on the target list. Listing things higher on the target list is left as an exercise for the reader. If I list anything, I'd get banned again.

 

[Zeldman]

USA landed on the moon again after a 50-year absence... sure we can say been there and done that, but still pretty cool to "geek-out" on...

They/we sent an outhouse to the moon.??

 

[CJones]

They/we sent an outhouse to the moon.??

I mean... if you're going to build a colony there, wouldn't that be one of the first things you would want available?

 

[Ventucky Red]

They/we sent an outhouse to the moon.??

Thinking they may be getting for the Bezos and Musk visit..

 

[hindsight2020]

oof. That televised reaction was a snoozer. I saw the clip, and I felt kind embarrassed ngl. Not hating, any planetary feat is credit to human ingenuity, just stating my visceral reaction vis a vis what my boomer parents experienced during Apollo, stopping in the middle of the road to listen to the broadcast on AM radio, even all the way in BFE half-non-electrified 1960s Puerto Rico.

Good bad or indifferent, I think people will be more excited if it were manned missions, nevermind it doesn't really accomplish anything for the advancement of interplanetary travel at this juncture.

They/we sent an outhouse to the moon.??

That looks about an airhandler for some of the TX mcmansion monstrosities that pepper the sweltering Texas Triangle. Maybe there's a niche to repurpose them for planetary travel

 

[Zeldman]

I mean... if you're going to build a colony there, wouldn't that be one of the first things you would want available?

Yeah, after a 3 day trip I would guess a port-a-potty would be a nice thing to see when ya get there...

 

[Dave Theisen]

First actual image:

 

[Jim_R]

The commentary in this thread sounds exactly like what Joe Sixpack says about people who fly small airplanes:
- What use is it?
- How much of my tax dollars go to support that?
- Think of all the more useful things that money could be spent on!
Etc....

 

[Domenick]

I "watched" the landing on Space.com's YouTube feed. As there was no video, those not emotionally invested likely felt it a snoozer. I was riveted, although I think SpaceX puts on a better spectacle whether manned or unmanned. But remember, IM only received 118M for the entire program and spending a few 100K to create a media event was not in the budget.

Unfortunately, it appears the top-heavy craft may have descended tilted and drifting and toppled over. There was an inflight failure with the onboard laser ranging system and IM created a software patch to divert other systems to compensate.

Private US spacecraft is on its side on the moon with some antennas covered up, the company says

Intuitive Machines initially believed its six-footed private lunar lander, was upright after Thursday’s touchdown. But CEO Steve Altemus said Friday the craft “caught a foot in the surface,” falling onto its side and, quite possibly, leaning against a rock.

apnews.com

 

[Lindberg]

I "watched" the landing on Space.com's YouTube feed. As there was no video, those not emotionally invested likely felt it a snoozer. I was riveted, although I think SpaceX puts on a better spectacle whether manned or unmanned. But remember, IM only received 118M for the entire program and spending a few 100K to create a media event was not in the budget.

Unfortunately, it appears the top-heavy craft may have descended tilted and drifting and toppled over. There was an inflight failure with the onboard laser ranging system and IM created a software patch to divert other systems to compensate.

Private US spacecraft is on its side on the moon with some antennas covered up, the company says

Intuitive Machines initially believed its six-footed private lunar lander, was upright after Thursday’s touchdown. But CEO Steve Altemus said Friday the craft “caught a foot in the surface,” falling onto its side and, quite possibly, leaning against a rock.

apnews.com

Sounds like a cavalcade of failures.

 

[Jim_R]

Sounds like a cavalcade of failures.

Maybe. But for a small company, whose first project was literally a moonshot, overall it's a pretty amazing accomplishment.

 

[nauga]

Sounds like a cavalcade of failures.

And successes.

Nauga,
who loves a parade