SpaceX and Commercial Space Exploration | StarTalk

I think people conflate two different

I think people conflate two different things here when they talk about the

things here when they talk about the

things here when they talk about the moving frontier of space exploration if

moving frontier of space exploration if

moving frontier of space exploration if you’re going to advance a space frontier

you’re going to advance a space frontier

you’re going to advance a space frontier you have gone farther than anyone has

you have gone farther than anyone has

you have gone farther than anyone has gone before

gone before

gone before to me that’s advancing a space frontier

to me that’s advancing a space frontier

to me that’s advancing a space frontier anything else could be an engineering

anything else could be an engineering

anything else could be an engineering frontier and of course there’s overlap

frontier and of course there’s overlap

frontier and of course there’s overlap between the two

between the two

between the two so SpaceX launched when it to orbit came

so SpaceX launched when it to orbit came

so SpaceX launched when it to orbit came back and landed that’s great we’ve never

back and landed that’s great we’ve never

back and landed that’s great we’ve never done that before

done that before

done that before now we ask who is going to advance the

now we ask who is going to advance the

now we ask who is going to advance the space frontier the history of this

space frontier the history of this

space frontier the history of this exercise the high risk with little

exercise the high risk with little

exercise the high risk with little promise of economic return for doing it

promise of economic return for doing it

promise of economic return for doing it first the history that exercise tells me

first the history that exercise tells me

first the history that exercise tells me that governments do it and they assign

that governments do it and they assign

that governments do it and they assign the tasks and the patents get made and

the tasks and the patents get made and

the tasks and the patents get made and discovered to accomplish these

discovered to accomplish these

discovered to accomplish these previously untapped goals once that’s

previously untapped goals once that’s

previously untapped goals once that’s quantified then you have private

quantified then you have private

quantified then you have private enterprise come in and make a buck off

enterprise come in and make a buck off

enterprise come in and make a buck off of it the first Europeans to the new

of it the first Europeans to the new

of it the first Europeans to the new world were not the Dutch East India

world were not the Dutch East India

world were not the Dutch East India Trading Company it was Columbus sent by

Trading Company it was Columbus sent by

Trading Company it was Columbus sent by Spain Spain had other objectives they

Spain Spain had other objectives they

Spain Spain had other objectives they have a baseline of time much longer than

have a baseline of time much longer than

have a baseline of time much longer than a quarterly report or an annual report

a quarterly report or an annual report

a quarterly report or an annual report it’s a clink tree countries can make

it’s a clink tree countries can make

it’s a clink tree countries can make those kinds of investments particularly

those kinds of investments particularly

those kinds of investments particularly if the long term return on that

if the long term return on that

if the long term return on that investment is for the greater glory of

investment is for the greater glory of

investment is for the greater glory of the country itself I don’t see SpaceX as

the country itself I don’t see SpaceX as

the country itself I don’t see SpaceX as being like the private company that’s

being like the private company that’s

being like the private company that’s going to take us to Mars they could do

going to take us to Mars they could do

going to take us to Mars they could do it on a SpaceX rocket that’s not a new

it on a SpaceX rocket that’s not a new

it on a SpaceX rocket that’s not a new thing the relationship between NASA and

thing the relationship between NASA and

thing the relationship between NASA and all the rest what would be new is if

all the rest what would be new is if

all the rest what would be new is if SpaceX said we’re going to Mars and we

SpaceX said we’re going to Mars and we

SpaceX said we’re going to Mars and we don’t need any governmental help and

don’t need any governmental help and

don’t need any governmental help and we’re going to do this as a complete

we’re going to do this as a complete

we’re going to do this as a complete commercial exercise I just don’t see

commercial exercise I just don’t see

commercial exercise I just don’t see that happening imagine the conversation

that happening imagine the conversation

that happening imagine the conversation I’m CEO of a company and I want to be

I’m CEO of a company and I want to be

I’m CEO of a company and I want to be the first to put a colony

the first to put a colony

the first to put a colony on Venus but I’m a private company so

on Venus but I’m a private company so

on Venus but I’m a private company so I’m bringing investors and they asked me

I’m bringing investors and they asked me

I’m bringing investors and they asked me questions they say how much does it cost

questions they say how much does it cost

questions they say how much does it cost I don’t know but more than has ever been

I don’t know but more than has ever been

I don’t know but more than has ever been spent in space before okay there’s a

spent in space before okay there’s a

spent in space before okay there’s a dangerous yes people will probably die

dangerous yes people will probably die

dangerous yes people will probably die what’s the return on the investment I

what’s the return on the investment I

what’s the return on the investment I don’t know probably nothing for a long

don’t know probably nothing for a long

don’t know probably nothing for a long time that’s a really quick meaning the

time that’s a really quick meaning the

time that’s a really quick meaning the government can say we want to go to

government can say we want to go to

government can say we want to go to Venus because that strategic value

Venus because that strategic value

Venus because that strategic value possible long-term economic value that

possible long-term economic value that

possible long-term economic value that venture capitalist investors don’t have

venture capitalist investors don’t have

venture capitalist investors don’t have the patience to wait out so I’m just

the patience to wait out so I’m just

the patience to wait out so I’m just trying to be practical here and the way

trying to be practical here and the way

trying to be practical here and the way civilizations have behaved ever since

civilizations have behaved ever since

civilizations have behaved ever since there’s been civilization