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Related: About this forumWatch Live: Richard Branson launches to space aboard Virgin Galactic rocket plane
llashram
(6,265 posts)give a flying damn?
Warpy
(110,909 posts)At least he's risking his own ass on the first junket into the upper atmosphere, and I have to say it looks like the more viable option for aging billionaires.
Here is another way to look at this stuff:
He's right, stiff fees to junketing billionaires will pay for a lot of engineering.
BumRushDaShow
(127,310 posts)and was shocked that Stephen Colbert did the opening (PR) segment and is on again as I type.
(he must have been paid a pretty penny)
question everything
(47,265 posts)Warpy
(110,909 posts)This is what Alan Shepard did in the mid 60s.
jimlup
(7,968 posts)guess he isn't trying to impress with media coverage and photos and live shots because it was very poor. Not that he cares but I tried to watch and got bored and turned it off.
tulipsandroses
(5,092 posts)I Am watching Ali Velshi and I just love it.
Nittersing
(6,270 posts)tulipsandroses
(5,092 posts)to have a different perspective. So yes there is a very commercial aspect -- rich guys with too much money - on the other side of that though, is what can we learn? What can we learn to benefit mankind? Sure its a vanity project, but the engineers, physicists and other scientists have another agenda.
I took note that Ali interviewed such a diverse group, Dr Mae Jemison, Leland Melvin, two African Americans who have been NASA astronauts, Peter Diamindis - Greek American scientist, Dr. Michio Kaku - Noted Asian American physicist.
I was fascinated by Peter's explanation of even things such as why they take off early in the morning. I can just imagine a younger version of myself getting super fascinated and wanting to go in that direction career wise. Dr. Jemison talking about how it relates to engineering. I am starting to like the idea of these guys pushing the envelope. Not focusing on them, but the people behind the mission and what it means for the work behind the scenes and the inspiration to young folks to get involved in STEM Careers.
And yes, these rich guys need to pay their taxes. Thats a separate conversation.
caraher
(6,276 posts)I grew up in the Apollo era and was a space fanatic. Today I say, screw the billionaires and their ego-driven space stunts.
Wealth tax now!
MuseRider
(34,058 posts)just watched this with the sound off. Rather than a serious space flight, it is something new and possibly helpful, so I am still interested. I am also jealous as I would love to participate in something like that.
It was like one big commercial blow job. I love Steven Colbert, he can do whatever he wants but this was just sickening, at least to me. Something about a singer was going to sing and Lady Ga Ga wants to go too with an ad that took up a corner of my screen selling tee shirts.
I remember every one of the first flights. Our school provided a little black and white tv for each classroom and we watched all of them if they were on during school time. Our teachers would draw a plot of the orbital flights on the black board and she would show us where they were on the pull down map. This is not that but was not intended to be that. Damn, could they have made it less of a stupid, commercial circus? It felt like a very long MyPillow, or any infomercial.
caraher
(6,276 posts)Speaking of Colbert, the narrator I heard reminded me a lot of "Kylie Weaver" on Colbert's "Tooning out the News" segments
Lovie777
(11,992 posts)Bezo will top that.
mac2766
(658 posts)While I am a fan of technology, I'm a person that thinks that the fact that 3 individual people currently have so much money that they can build machines that will take people into outer space. It's absolutely grotesque when you consider how many people go without so much in the world.