That’s a great question. I would guess that part of the answer is that the cost is a massive differentiator for them.
If costs were higher, competitors would probably not launch on SpaceX rockets. They were also not a “safe” choice until recently. They’ve also been able to capture the market and put enormous pressure on their competitors. I’m certain there are other reasons.
I’d love to hear an actual business person weigh in on this.
Ok - this makes sense to me. Also taken into account the context that anything going to space needs to be light at this point in time. Hopefully we don’t have that restriction forever :)
I know these are much larger - I’m just really curious about the dynamics of scaling up rotorcraft & why it is problematic. ie - do rotor physics become impracticality large or fast at some point for materials science, or is it purely a space problem for rocket launches.
I haven’t been to China, but have traveled quite a bit in Asia. In my experience, you can do most anything for money anywhere. It just takes less money in places with a lower GDP per capita (not accounting for cultural or religious practices).
Responses to this talk about how the ecosystem and hardware is great. I wonder if it would be so good if they were more squeezed to chase profits?
I’m usually skeptical of companies with this many users because of the potential to mine and sell data. I’m glad Apple hasn’t had to focus on that to stay profitable to the extent others have.
Oh yeah - my comment was more about magma spewing out if the chamber grew. I’m really curious about the mechanics of that process.
To me, it seems like the magma would could enough/create enough friction in a small borehole to prevent catastrophic failure. However, that’s just a feeling & I’d love to read more about this.
Is this statement just a feeling, or is this coming from a source?
I would bet that lots of very smart people have looked at the problem and thought it was viable if they’re moving forward. Also, the people in Iceland are very adept at geothermal (but maybe not this type).
If costs were higher, competitors would probably not launch on SpaceX rockets. They were also not a “safe” choice until recently. They’ve also been able to capture the market and put enormous pressure on their competitors. I’m certain there are other reasons.
I’d love to hear an actual business person weigh in on this.