Why aren’t the other space programs/companies landing rockets?
Economics, pure and simple.
SpaceX was heavily capitalised during an era of easy money, so they have cash to burn advancing this technology. Everyone benefits. But there is no indication they are anywhere near profitability. So why would other space programs do this, when they can reap the benefits (tech and cargo) of a VC and government subsidised company?
Or do you think the SpaceX engineering team is the only one on the planet capable of doing this? I'm sure they're awesome, but that's a stretch.
As were others. Surely Blue Origin had the easiest capital of all.
Note also how "launching rockets" or even going to the moon and back, was something we routinely did 40 to 50 years ago.
Heck, we even tried reusable rockets, and even had space shuttles. They were cancelled for political reasons, just like moon missions and NASA programs were. Not for lack of progress or technology.
I’m amazed people in good faith will minimise what SpaceX has done and pretend like “no one else cares”.
NASA has basically zero capability anymore (given they just launch their only rocket) - which was completely disposed of.
Do people really think all these other programs/companies think it’s “better” to throw the rocket out?
Why are rocketlab and others working on recovery and reuse then? Why has blue origin failed to get to orbit? Surely we’ve been doing this for 40 years, what’s wrong with them?
A single shuttle launch cost the same in 1990s dollars as 20 Falcon launches in today dollars.
