Elon Musk

[Steph]

And I was impressed already with how many things Elon is running; now he's running the Fed, too? :biggrin:

Or Ben got a face lift to look more intelligent?

 

[VolkerP]

no, no, just shaving off the beard... always does a wonder to every guy!

 

[dpeilow]

And backward engineering a rocket would be difficult, as first, you'd have to get hold of one.

SpaceX have updated what, in principle, are old technologies and they've done some cool stuff with them. However, to think that a nation of 1.4bn people don't have guys smart enough to work out what is going on just from the knowledge that something has been done is at best arrogant. I've seen that very thing in the industry first hand and if you think that, you get caught out.

Besides, many Western satellites can't launch on Chinese rockets due to ITAR, which is where the likes of SpaceX come in. So even if SpaceX does have something that the Chinese want to replicate, it would really only benefit their domestic or manned programmes. I don't really see that as a bad thing - but their launch vehicles are already pretty capable and reliable.

 

[Doug_G]

SpaceX have updated what, in principle, are old technologies and they've done some cool stuff with them. However, to think that a nation of 1.4bn people don't have guys smart enough to work out what is going on just from the knowledge that something has been done is at best arrogant. I've seen that very thing in the industry first hand and if you think that, you get caught out.

Yeah, but there's a big difference between having one that you take apart, and having to invent something similar from scratch. Yes, it really helps if you know what's possible because someone else is doing it, but it's far easier if you start out by reverse engineering the competition. In rocketry it could save you billions.

 

[Norbert]

SpaceX have updated what, in principle, are old technologies and they've done some cool stuff with them. However, to think that a nation of 1.4bn people don't have guys smart enough to work out what is going on just from the knowledge that something has been done is at best arrogant. I've seen that very thing in the industry first hand and if you think that, you get caught out.

Besides, many Western satellites can't launch on Chinese rockets due to ITAR, which is where the likes of SpaceX come in. So even if SpaceX does have something that the Chinese want to replicate, it would really only benefit their domestic or manned programmes. I don't really see that as a bad thing - but their launch vehicles are already pretty capable and reliable.

SpaceX intends to build reusable rockets. Their current designs are probably already in that direction. AFAIK, no-one else has built (completely) re-usable rockets yet. If SpaceX will be the first, they'll want to stay ahead of the game for as long as possible, as this will increase their ability to win launch contracts globally, and help them to advance their technology towards Mars projects.

 

[daniel]

... to think that a nation of 1.4bn people don't have guys smart enough to work out what is going on just from the knowledge that something has been done is at best arrogant.

Yeah, but there's a big difference between having one that you take apart, and having to invent something similar from scratch. Yes, it really helps if you know what's possible because someone else is doing it, but it's far easier if you start out by reverse engineering the competition. In rocketry it could save you billions.

Plus, if they re-invent it from scratch, just by knowing it's possible, they're unlikely to do it exactly the same way, so patent protection is useless.

 

[NigelM]

Elon described by the Daily Kos:

The walking ball of Awesome that is Elon Musk has done it again, this time in the automotive arena:

 

[vfx]

http://elonmusktesla.wordpress.com/

Looks like pilfering from the web but I can't imagine the blogger not being here every day.

 

[vfx]

http://upstart.bizjournals.com/entr...elon-musk-is-cooler-than-mark-zuckerberg.html

But which of the two is the most audacious upstart entrepreneur and therefore, in our eyes, the coolest? That's a pretty close thing.

 

[medved]

http://upstart.bizjournals.com/entr...elon-musk-is-cooler-than-mark-zuckerberg.html

But which of the two is the most audacious upstart entrepreneur and therefore, in our eyes, the coolest? That's a pretty close thing.

 

[PeterW]

Awesome

 

[vfx]

Elon interviewed on The Gavin Newsom show tonight.

 

[vfx]

details

Elon interviewed on The Gavin Newsom show tonight.

Tonight 11E, 8P Current TV​

 

[vfx]

interview is up

http://current.com/shows/the-gavin-newsom-show/

 

[medved]

interview is up

http://current.com/shows/the-gavin-newsom-show/

Really? Do you mean that short sneak peak videos?

 

[Citizen-T]

Really? Do you mean that short sneak peak videos?

I guess, that is all I found.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[westerndh]

>>Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk

After 2008 meltdown, vacation for me just meant email with a view, but SpaceX & Tesla are now strong enough that I can make it real (yay!!) <<

Elon tweeted this last week - his first "real" vacation to Hawaii....anyone think this was a planned break, allow his team to come up with the punch list of fixes, while completely leaving him alone for a week, then will brief him this week to determine the must do fixes before the cars properly rampt up? Good on him!

 

[rbmartin]

Elon's tweet from this morning: Now back to work. Intense months ahead as we ramp production of rockets and cars.

 

[CyberDutchie]

Elon's tweet from this morning: Now back to work. Intense months ahead as we ramp production of rockets and cars.

Maybe he found some nice hardwood species in Hawaii for a future trim! See also this thread.

 

[Lloyd]

Elon's tweet from this morning: Now back to work. Intense months ahead as we ramp production of rockets and cars.

Not necessarily in that order!