https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3255351/nasas-dream-comes-true-china-plans-build-giant-rail-gun-launch-hypersonic-planes-space
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3255351/nasas-dream-comes-true-china-plans-build-giant-rail-gun-launch-hypersonic-planes-space
China completely invalidating SpaceX's business model would be hilarious.![some-controversy some-controversy](https://www.hexbear.net/pictrs/image/f058f1e7-8e52-49a5-9e77-68c35b52d55c.png)
NASA is banned from working with China, so it would be genuinely hilarious if they were the only group stuck paying $3k per kg.
I’m not sure what’s funnier. If China open sources the technology and NASA would have no choice but to switch to it, or they keep it proprietary and force the US to use spacex
The funniest outcome is this: They go open source, Elon takes the concept and tries to pretend he invented the tech himself. People call him out for it, but he doubles down claiming he's never even heard of china. It gets built and explodes because he cut corners and did dumb shit. Elon immediately blames faulty Chinese tech.![lathe-of-heaven lathe-of-heaven](https://www.hexbear.net/pictrs/image/75af3f48-e6da-41c0-a35f-e51134f3b178.png)
And retroactively blames those shifty [slurs] for stealing American tech that previously was just a series of doodles on a napkin
Elon tries to build a space trebuchet to compete, the release mechanism gets a bug and slams a $50,000,000 rocket directly into the ground. Blames China and Chelsea Manning.
I think the funniest outcome would be Elon being forced to try to build a space gun to try to compete.
During fundraising events he shows videos of the prototype in action.
The video... (invidious front end for youtube used)
The SpaceX rockets being reusable barely put a dent in the price of launches, they were already cheap. probably has something to do with them using RP-1 fuel wich is is cheaper and easier to store and creates greenhouse gasses vs. the clean burning liquid hydrogen that NASA and ESA use.