SpaceX

On Mar 24, 6:59 am, Craig Fink wrote:
No, I define "successful" as moving along their learning curve as fast and
as cheaply as possible....
...I agree with you, it is a failure, a failure to
demonstrate the vehicle can make it to Orbit. The demonstration isn't over
until it demonstrated. Calling it operational before it's demonstrated
would be a very big negative.

We apparently are in agreement.

(I agree with the rest of your post as well; they are gaining
experience and moving rapidly down the learning curve, which, in the
long run, is a good thing.)

--
Franklin Jefferson
***My blog: Jefferson's Democracy***
http://franklinjefferson.blogspot.com

In article k.net,
Craig Fink wrote:
capitalist profit models that made PayPal so successful may be of no help
when contracting in the fantasy world of regulated profits (6%) in a
capital intensive industry (and using his own capital) where the standard
is to invest nothing and get payed for everything you do, plus 6%.

Remember that it *is* possible to sell services even to the US government
on a firm-fixed-price basis. It is difficult, yes, but it has been done.
(Whether SpaceX is doing it, I'm not sure.)
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

In article .net,
Craig Fink wrote:
I found it odd when NASA handed out money to SpaceX and Kistler, they said
something about experience or was it track record. SpaceX had some, but
Kistler had none...

For much of its independent life, Kistler was top-heavy with ex-NASA
people, although I don't know how many of them made the transition to RpK.
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 04:52:40 GMT, in a place far, far away,
(Henry Spencer) made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

In article .net,
Craig Fink wrote:
I found it odd when NASA handed out money to SpaceX and Kistler, they said
something about experience or was it track record. SpaceX had some, but
Kistler had none...

For much of its independent life, Kistler was top-heavy with ex-NASA
people, although I don't know how many of them made the transition to RpK.

My understanding is very few. George French wasn't willing to pay
them the salaries they expected, particularly given past performance.