Okay, the title is a bit click-baity
What I mean is that spaceX is building a space launching platform that is orders-of-magnitude more advanced then any other system (starship), and it looks like they will succeed.
Now, I don’t really care for Elon Musk as a person, I’m generally on the “tax rich people significantly more”, and (in reference to my title) spaceX has many more skilled engineers than Elon Musk.
That said, I think starship is critical to becoming carbon neutral. As Bezos has pointed out (and I hate to agree with real-life Lex Luthor), we need to get heavy industry off the planet, and so far it appears that starship is the ONLY platform even close to being able to achieve this.
Of course, there are MANY steps needed to go from starship → get heavy industry off the planet. Including significant advancement in how to operate heavy industry in orbit, and significant regulation to make orbital industry worth it. (Of course, the worrying bit to me is that this will take FAR more time to achieve then we have available given the rate of climate change).
I guess I have two debate topics:
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What do you think about mat conclusion: that we must get heavy industry off the planet, and starship is the only platform remotely capable of doing so?
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If you agree (or theoretically were to agree) with point 1, does this affect your opinion (if you have one) on taxing the rich? That is, SpaceX has thoroughly demonstrated how one multi-billionaire visionary can easily outpace the technological development of every nationally funded space program, and if we are forced to rely upon incompetent politicians to fund the right technology then we’ll never reach carbon neutrality.
(note, I’m not arguing AGAINST taxing the rich significantly more. I’m trying to figure out my own opinions on whether or not incompetent politicians or selfish billionaires should have power. I’m not crazy about either option).