from Hacker News

Jeff Bezos successfully lands back on Earth

by blackcat201 on 7/20/21, 1:58 PM with 41 comments

  • by eplanit on 7/20/21, 2:54 PM

    It's intersting (sort of) to contrast Bezos with Musk on this: Musk wants to colonize other planets, and in his other work to convert from fossil fuels -- truly moving the species forward. Bezos, on the other hand, fancies himself as Jean-Luc Picard, made trip #1 about himself, and what he's really making happen is a lucrative space tourism business. Still cool, but not at all on par with Musk's work.

    Congrats Bezos, nonetheless (he gets a Nancy Pelosi clap, at least).

  • by sgt on 7/20/21, 2:04 PM

    I watched the launch live. Inspirational to say the least. I am also glad the 82 year old Wally got to experience this. It may seem like just a quick launch and return, but this event is a milestone.

  • by chrisjc on 7/20/21, 3:00 PM

    Here's a link to the NASASpaceflight video.

    https://youtu.be/PGl8MRJheiA?t=7844

    Despite all the criticism about whether suborbital is to be consider space or not, I find this to be incredibly exciting time to be alive.

    On another note, the footage of these landings from either Blue Origin or Starship totally remind me of something out of the original Thunderbirds show when Thunderbird 1 is landing.

    https://youtu.be/tGMppsrZoJw?t=153

    Or maybe even something from Neill Blomkamp.

    https://youtu.be/Tm0V24IEHao?t=793

  • by bradhe on 7/20/21, 2:29 PM

    Does the dailyrecord (whatever the hell that is) hijack the back button for anyone else??

  • by mytailorisrich on 7/20/21, 2:35 PM

    They mentioned that the rocket uses LOX/LOH as fuel, which makes it zero emission since a launch only produces water.

    That's quite interesting.

  • by mattowen_uk on 7/20/21, 2:58 PM

    Saying what everyone is thinking here... How many Covid vaccines could have been made and sent to poorer countries for the cost of this vanity trip ?

  • by ck2 on 7/20/21, 2:42 PM

    I mean okay, it's really just a very very high plane ride to edge of space, not actual space?

    So assuming an evolution and not revolution in technology, how long until the first civilian orbits earth? 10 years?