# SpaceX makes successful launch to the ISS!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 23, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777 "2012-05-23T01:31:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777/21 "2012-05-31T17:41:42Z")

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Somehow I missed this thread. Hot diggity!

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777/22 "2012-05-31T18:07:57Z")

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Are there any links to recovery? I’d guess they didn’t drive over in a bass boat.  
I understand there are future plans for landing with legs on a concrete pad.

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**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777/23 "2012-05-31T18:10:39Z")

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Anyone else have the burning desire to give Eton Musk a big hug and “thank you”?

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**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777/24 "2012-05-31T18:13:32Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Of course, these guys are essentially government contractors – we won’t **really** have private-sector space travel until we have some involving no tax dollars at all. But this at least suggests the possibility.

Well, I think the railroad & airline industries got kick-started with fairly massive government contracting, and I don’t have a problem with it in this case at all.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-makes-successful-launch-to-the-iss/622777/25 "2012-05-31T19:41:47Z")

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> [@levdrakon](#):
>
> Well, I think the railroad & airline industries got kick-started with fairly massive government contracting, and I don’t have a problem with it in this case at all.

Railroads got a lot of direct government subsidy, including land grants. Early aviation got kick-started by federal contracting, especially military procurement and air-mail service. Early radio and TV were aggressively government-led. You can read the stories and many others in Michael Lind’s new book, [_Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States._](http://www.amazon.com/Land-Promise-Economic-History-United/dp/0061834807)

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