Boeing and Lockheed Martin have an exclusive contract to provide military launch services but there is one little problem with their plan: the rocket boosters are made in Russia.
Elon Musk owns SpaceX which has been successful in sending supplies up to the ISS. SpaceX has accomplished this mission several times and has shown its capability in sophisticated launches.
The Pentagon wouldn't deal with Elon Musk to provide satellite launch services despite his company's demonstrated ability to do it and he quoted a substantially lower price than Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Pro tip: do not piss off Elon Musk.
He brought suit against the Pentagon to prevent the deal with Russia arguing that it was unfair business because it was an exclusive contract and (cough) it was sending business overseas when it could be done better and for less money here. (RT: Elon Musk halts deal between US Air Force and Russian rocket-makers)
There are three or more responses the Pentagon can make now:
This one is absolutely delicious as what is an Old School conservative (i.e. one who has actually read the Constitution) going to see in this to get furious.
Elon Musk owns SpaceX which has been successful in sending supplies up to the ISS. SpaceX has accomplished this mission several times and has shown its capability in sophisticated launches.
The Pentagon wouldn't deal with Elon Musk to provide satellite launch services despite his company's demonstrated ability to do it and he quoted a substantially lower price than Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Pro tip: do not piss off Elon Musk.
He brought suit against the Pentagon to prevent the deal with Russia arguing that it was unfair business because it was an exclusive contract and (cough) it was sending business overseas when it could be done better and for less money here. (RT: Elon Musk halts deal between US Air Force and Russian rocket-makers)
There are three or more responses the Pentagon can make now:
- We won't honor the suit because we could rather send U.S. military dollars to Russia
- We won't honor the suit because the Pentagon prefers to deal with fatcat corporations which have grown fat on military contracts and the absence of morals
- Pleased to meet you, Elon. Let's talk.
This one is absolutely delicious as what is an Old School conservative (i.e. one who has actually read the Constitution) going to see in this to get furious.
The Tea Party (i.e. conservatives who have not read the Constitution) response is predictable:
- So, you say Boeing needs some cows? I know a guy in Nevada.
Russian officials are, naturally, amused by all of these shenanigans but they can't complain as their defense department is at least as corrupt as that of the U.S. Russian deputy minister Rogozin tweeted, "After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest the US delivers its astronauts to the ISS [international space station] with a trampoline.”
No comments:
Post a Comment