SpaceX CRS-1 Launch to International Space Station

Liftoff of Falcon 9 and Dragon from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Fl. October 7, 2012.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[engared]

Apparently, they are developing a Mars mission along with Nasa called the Red Dragon.

I can see it very clearly: The Red Dragon has landed on Mars, The Red Dragon has landed on Mars. Now a word from the mission's title sponsors, Red Bull. Red Bull gives you wings!

[eduardog3000]

Don't say that about him, Jebediah is a great pilot, always happy to piloting a ship, even when Bill and Bob are freaked out for little things like an engine blowing up.

[Spacecore Aperture]

Gotta go to space, yeah gotta go to space.

[goldfinger490]

One of the engines lost pressure and was shut down. It's OK. It's designed to be able to lose more than one in flight and still reach orbit.

[Supergeckos1000]

What happens at 1:30?

[J Whit]

Team SpaceX F*uck Yea!

#ThankUMrMusk 75 seconds to Mach 1..FTW

[danthemanzizle]

just some mild rapid unscheduled dis-assembly

[Rob Speed]

I've seen it, and I could point out a dozen other analysts saying to invest.

He makes a point that at their last quarters rate of loss they'll be dead in months, but that also assumes their revenues won't go up, which we already know isn't true. Analyst estimates for Q4 sales is 2,500 cars, which is TEN TIMES what they sold in Q3. Right now they're building at a rate per week that's higher than the rate per quarter for his numbers.

So it's a concern, but vastly overstated.

[chechnya]

I guess you didn't read the story that came out a few days ago. Google "Analyst says Tesla is low on cash, dangerously so." They're a failure company. They should have never received taxpayer loans because now they're too deep in debt and very few products to show for the MILLIONS in investment. LOL.

[Rob Speed]

So? Those subsidies existed long before Tesla. Oil is also heavily subsidized, but it's hardly a sign that Ford is failing.

They've said before that their cars would get cheaper… and they did – 50% cheaper. Didn't I just mention that?

They can't keep operating at a loss, but that's not a death rattle. They're selling a high-demand product with a 25% margin, and they have another coming which got $40,000,000 pre-orderes on its first day. Good thing they have that fancy factory to build them.

[chechnya]

A $60,000 dollar car that U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing. That isn't an issue? We always keep hearing how it will be cheaper and they'll see more. It's all a bullshit ruse. They can't keep operating in the red and expect to stay alive. Not with more DOE loans, which they aren't getting. Buying all new, over the top equipment up front is not how you run a company.

[Rob Speed]

They're a low scale car company with plans to grow rapidly and their factory reflects that goal, yet you see it as wasteful. Tesla's first generation car was $110,000 because it had to be a high-margin product to survive at low production rates. For the second generation the new factory increased production and the prices nearly halved to $60,000. Their third generation is planned to be even cheaper, sold in larger numbers and at lower margins.

Where do you find fault in this process?