"Mike Rhino" wrote in message .. .
"Andi Kleen" wrote in message
...
(Josh Gigantino) writes:

A - SpaceX is about 30 people, they do operations, design and
integration
heavy machining is outsourced, no lawyers.

This seems to have changed. From their website:

(http://www.spacex.com/index.html?sec...%3A//www.space
x.com/updates.php)

"More Manufacturing In-house

Weve decided to make a significant investment in our machining and
manufacturing operations and can now build almost all the vehicle
components, including the engines, at SpaceX directly from raw blocks
of metal. It is incredible that with just a few machines, one can make
so many unique and complex metallic parts directly from 3D computer
models (almost tea, Earl Grey, black in metal). In the old days, it
would have required far more machinery and custom tools. "
"

If we ever get around to setting up a lunar colony or mining and
manufacturing on the moon, this seems to be what we'd need. The same is
true of asteroids or O'Neal colonies. Elsewhere in the lecture notes, he's
against mining and manufacturing.

The same manufacturing technology is enabling small teams to roll
their own spacecraft. If CAD/CAM keeps advancing, the time is going to
arrive when a small, dedicated group of engineers can build all the
hardware they would need for basic exploration and small settlements.
They would, as you write, then be able to manufacture whatever else
they need insitu.

It is ironic that Elon would poo-poo space-based mining, when the
technology he is working on could be an enabler for those endeavors. I
agree with him that returning material to the Earth makes no sense,
but that does not mean that volatiles and feedstock won't be
billion-dollar industries over several decades.

josh