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Elon does deserve enormous credit. We owe him a debt for these morale boosts. I suspect that will be repaid of sorts when he starts mining asteroids and becomes the first trillionaire and then multi-trillionaire.
Great article. I was born a few months before the moon landing and I’ve been a space fan since I was old enough to know what space was. It was all so lame for so long. I didn’t want to be a government contractor in a stultified bureaucracy just to be able to work on space things. Ended up in medicine. But now my son is graduating high school tomorrow and headed off to Purdue with aspirations to be an aerospace engineer and build rockets for a living. It’s a realistic goal for him and the companies that are hiring seem exciting in a way NASA or Boeing are not.
I think of it this way: My Starlink bill is funding Starship development. I have no idea what my cable bill is funding. I'm willing to pay a premium for that - and it's not much of a premium.
What a delightful tour d’horizon, Glenn!
It’s like you’ve been waiting to express all of these strands in the history of ideas — and they came gushing out today as a well-woven golden braid.
What a hopeful message!
Thanks for the likes.
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Elon does deserve enormous credit. We owe him a debt for these morale boosts. I suspect that will be repaid of sorts when he starts mining asteroids and becomes the first trillionaire and then multi-trillionaire.
A person who commercializes space and/or unlocks fusion power will have access to resources unimaginable to us.
Just wish I could get me some shares of SpaceX.
Glenn, absolutely one of your best articles ever! A homerun with all the bases loaded, a piece well worth reading and rereading.
Ad Astra Per Aspera - 'to the stars through hardship'
Kanasas state motto
More along the lines of settling the American frontier(Manifest Destiny).
Hopefully a model for a social movement we could emulate.
Woot! I am willing to give up my own jet car with tootling burbles to see the first circular ring orbital station at one of the LeGrange points.
Asteroid mining from there, baratna's!
One more 1492 event and its "Peace Dividend". The Reconquista.
Well said. And amen.
Glenn, I think the Instapundit site is bugged right now
Great article. I was born a few months before the moon landing and I’ve been a space fan since I was old enough to know what space was. It was all so lame for so long. I didn’t want to be a government contractor in a stultified bureaucracy just to be able to work on space things. Ended up in medicine. But now my son is graduating high school tomorrow and headed off to Purdue with aspirations to be an aerospace engineer and build rockets for a living. It’s a realistic goal for him and the companies that are hiring seem exciting in a way NASA or Boeing are not.
What is the gross weight of the political class? Just musing.
Thanks for the big perspective on humanity and our next steps.
I think I'll frame this in my office to keep me on the right track.
So do you think Starlink will go down by a factor of 10?
I think of it this way: My Starlink bill is funding Starship development. I have no idea what my cable bill is funding. I'm willing to pay a premium for that - and it's not much of a premium.
I like that viewpoint!!
Nah. Starlink is funding the Mars research. The service will continue to get better, though.
Elon Musk, our greatest living African American.
You are a breath of fresh air. Than you.