A few years ago there would have been comments along the lines of "why sink money into this, SpaceX is years ahead, just use their rockets", but I think that the recent events in the US have proven that it makes sense for ESA to develop their own reusable rocket (better late than never)...
For history: Arianespace was founded in the first place to launch independent European communication satellites that USA wouldn't launch.
Trade is extremely useful, but certain strategic capabilities are very useful also to have on your own. I personally think it would make sense from Europe's point of view for European companies or consortiums to develop operational stealth aircraft.
I sure wish SpaceX would just open source their designs so that nations around the world can join the space race, we can truly evolve as a whole species and not just as national identities, and we can get on with mining Psyche 16.
That would be a truly revolutionary human endeavour, imho.
Meanwhile, we're lobbing rockets at each other to kill innocents at massive scale, when we could, as an entire species, be building literal cities in the sky.
Nevertheless if Europe starts making progress, I'm sure it'll catch up with the USA and China. Some day. Assuming we don't nuke ourselves over idiocy first.
I know, it's a pipe dream. But a person can dream for the stars in spite of all the hatred that says otherwise.
cities in the sky? With all due respect…your head is in the clouds friend. We can barely keep the earth from warming catastrophically as it is, and you want to what - 5x global emissions? to build cities in the sky, where life is HARDER than on earth?
That’s just nuts. How about we learn how to not screw up the earth first before worrying about cities in the sky. Because i guarantee we’d find a way to trash the next planet really quickly. Humans (as a large species) tend to be great at that. I don’t see other animals trashing the planet. Just us.
I’m just looking forward to better satellites - better weather forecasting, communications, research, etc.
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[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 26.2 ms ] threadIs Kiruna a good place for this? I read that it's collapsing due to extensive mining for decades.
Trade is extremely useful, but certain strategic capabilities are very useful also to have on your own. I personally think it would make sense from Europe's point of view for European companies or consortiums to develop operational stealth aircraft.
That would be a truly revolutionary human endeavour, imho.
Meanwhile, we're lobbing rockets at each other to kill innocents at massive scale, when we could, as an entire species, be building literal cities in the sky.
Nevertheless if Europe starts making progress, I'm sure it'll catch up with the USA and China. Some day. Assuming we don't nuke ourselves over idiocy first.
I know, it's a pipe dream. But a person can dream for the stars in spite of all the hatred that says otherwise.
That’s just nuts. How about we learn how to not screw up the earth first before worrying about cities in the sky. Because i guarantee we’d find a way to trash the next planet really quickly. Humans (as a large species) tend to be great at that. I don’t see other animals trashing the planet. Just us.
I’m just looking forward to better satellites - better weather forecasting, communications, research, etc.