Today's SpaceX 19th Resupply Launch to the International Space Station

I needed a distraction from politics.

What better way than watch a rocket launch?

Today, The Dragon spacecraft lifted off with supplies and payloads that will be used in numerous science investigations aboard ISS.

Is this their first official launch?

a reply to: Notoneofyou

SpaceX has launched its nineteenth resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on behalf of NASA.

The Dragon cargo craft used in this launch has actually made this trip twice before — first in 2014, and then in 2017. Both times after returning it was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean and refurbished by SpaceX in order to fly again.

techcrunch.com...

a reply to: shawmanfromny

It’s funny how many people think and want Elon musk to fail, I’ve heard countless times how Tesla is about to go under and spaceX is a pipe dream.

And yet I see more and more Tesla’s on the road and we hear about these asteroids so full of precious metals that it would make the person in possession of one instantly the riches person to ever exist.

Elon is focused on the progression of the human race like no one I’ve ever seen, I don’t understand why anyone would want a man like that to fail.

a reply to: Quantumgamer1776

I don't want to see them fail, but the stories I've heard from the other side of things paints a less rosy picture of both Tesla and SpaceX. But of course when it comes up in discussions it just gets passed off as normal business practices.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah I see people bring up Elon taking government money as a reason to hate him, and allusions to shady business practices but I’ve never seen any specifics from his skeptics. Il admit I’ve never looked into the claims much, maybe I just want my image of him to stay positive for selfish reasons. I wouldn’t say he’s my hero but he does have a heroic status, so maybe I want to stay willfully ignorant so I can pretend people like that are real.

a reply to: Quantumgamer1776

I always laugh at the people that say he's evil for taking the government money. Going to space ain't cheap, and if the government wants to pay to develop the rockets, more power to him.

SpaceX has HALVED the cost of sending a pound to space and yes, the government pays him to do that. But the government pays Boeing a whole lot more for the exact same thing. It's not equitable. Why don't the same people that complain about SpaceX complain about Boeing? SpaceX is providing value for money spent. Boeing costs twice as much, therefore SpaceX is ripping off the government, It doesn't make sense.

originally posted by: Quantumgamer1776
a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah I see people bring up Elon taking government money as a reason to hate him, and allusions to shady business practices but I’ve never seen any specifics from his skeptics. Il admit I’ve never looked into the claims much, maybe I just want my image of him to stay positive for selfish reasons. I wouldn’t say he’s my hero but he does have a heroic status, so maybe I want to stay willfully ignorant so I can pretend people like that are real.

This ^, absolutely this ^,

I couldn't have articulated my own feelings any better

I watched the live stream at home, set my alarm so I would not miss it. Another beautiful launch and successful 1st stage landing for Space X.

I was able to watch the night launch of the Falcon Heavy last June in Cape Canaveral with my SO and our kids(3 and 6). It was their first time watching a live, so watching the largest and most powerful rocket in use(only the Saturn V was more powerful) plus the simultaneous booster landing was extra special.

I am hoping to make it to Cape Canaveral for the in-flight abort launch that will test the abort system for the Dragon Crew capsule, the last step before SpaceX starts launching astronauts. There is no official date yet, but I told by a SpaceX employee they are targeting January 4th.

Space Flight Now is a great source for upcoming launches. Boeing's Starliner capsules test flight is scheduled for December 19th, but could possibly be delayed again. It will be using the Atlas V rocket which uses the Russian RD-180 engine in it's 1st stage. The boosters and rocket are not reusable.

Here is an excellent side by side comparison of SpaceX's Crew Dragon vs Boeing's Starliner:

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Quantumgamer1776

I don't want to see them fail, but the stories I've heard from the other side of things paints a less rosy picture of both Tesla and SpaceX. But of course when it comes up in discussions it just gets passed off as normal business practices.

How about a SpaceX Meta thread? We could talk about those issues in detail instead of just rehashing the same talking points on every new thread on yet another launch.