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[–] Inquisitioner ago 

SpaceX was on a government contract. Basic research and breakthrough experiments are mostly performed at a financial loss, which only governments can reliably power through when it comes to space.

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[–] Dominus_Stercae 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I put my comment here to respond once to a few of yours in your post.

Here's what I take from my reading. Robert Goddard developed the first working bipropellant, single combustion chamber liquid fueled rocket. He also built the first regeneratively cooled combustion chamber, albeit not following through with the idea. Independent of Wernher von Braun's team he developed turbopumps - much like the British and Germans independently developed turbojets.

As a young man von Braun studied Goddard's work, first matching his achievements and then building upon them. There's no question the Germans grabbed the concept with both hands and took it to new heights (no pun intended). I'm sure in even his wildest dreams Goddard would not have imagined a Saturn V!

So while von Braun and his team advanced the techniques beyond recognition, IMO there's little doubt that Robert Goddard can be considered the father of modern practical rocketry. To back up my opinion, I'll leave here this homage of von Braun's to his boyhood hero. Who am I to argue with that?

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[–] HuginnOgMuninn [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Goddard laid the important groundwork for further development, he was a significant contributor towards rocketry, and cleared many stepping stones. I do not want to deny that.

Perhaps it is best to honor his contributions towards rocketry by giving him the status of inventor, even though Tsiolkovsky was the first to describe it, and Goddards rockets never flew correctly. But I feel like the first true rocket, by the modern standards and definitions, is the A4/V2. This is not an unreasonable viewpoint. The difference is the same as between Da Vinci's flying machine, and the Wright brothers, though the comparison might seem a bit hyperbolic.

As I say, it's debatable. But I feel strongly, that the inventor of the first true actual rocket, should have the title of inventor.

Give him the title of 'father of rocketry', whatever needs to be said. But the inventor is either Tsiolkovsky or Von Braun.

I can very much understand the American claim from a patriots standpoint, and I can understand the hesitation to award Von Braun such stature, considering the history. But I don't agree with it.

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[–] Dominus_Stercae ago 

We're clearly in the same ball park and perhaps splitting hairs, but I feel the need to respond on one of your points.

It's not a matter of American pride! Lass mich dir 'was sagen. Ich hab' absolut kein Problem ;-) honoring the role Wernher von Braun and his team had in the advance. My goodness, look at the Saturn V! In my opinion, he's in history's topmost echelon of engineers and innovators. But it's a statement of fact that the very first liquid fueled rockets to fly were designed and built by Robert Goddard. Not Tsiolkovsky. Not Oberth. And not von Braun. I know you're not claiming otherwise on that, but I do believe you're devaluing Goddard's achievement.

Wernher von Braun himself deferred to Goddard. His word is more than good enough for me!

PS: Thank you for your civility. All too rare - especially hereabouts.

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[–] robot7247 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Regarding space, Saturday Spacex launch (2 Americans on left) w/ ISS astronauts (1 American & 2 Russians) -

https://www.theweek.in/content/dam/week/news/world/images/2020/5/31/SpaceX-ISS-NASA-Bob-Behnken-Doug-Hurley-NASA.jpg

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[–] Whitening 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

HOPEFULLY

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[–] BookWorm99 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

I'm Russian. Most people don't realize that the Soviet Union was very ethno-centric and realized that blacks are detrimental to its progress. Likewise, central asians (who are now the cancerous analogues of shitskins here in the states) were kept at bay. Most people who trash communism that I see, dont' associate their view of communism with an economic idea, but rather a social idea.

If you go to Russia now, the communist party is the conservative party. Communists in Russia are against: immigration, non-traditional sexual relationships, pornography, smut, drugs, and other capitalistic-hedonistic phenomena.

Capitalism is what allows niggers to be how they are. Everyone wants to keep earnin' those dollars so they keep appeasing the niggers so that the Feds don't label them as "racist". And those in america who are "communists" have not a clue what communism in Russia is/was like.

You guys think North Korea would let this shit go down? They'd take them all out and say they were counter-revolutionary saboteurs because they were too lazy to work for the greater good of society.

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[–] HuginnOgMuninn [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

This is always a fascinating discussion. Working together for a common goal is always a better idea than competition. Except when it's not.

I don't think the hedonistic/nihilistic attitudes of the west are deserving of any praise. But free markets are much better than a state run monopoly, receiving higher pay for more work, is much better than the flat salary. The freedoms are better than the slavery.

Obviously these are complicated concepts, and need much deeper analysis than I'm willing to spend on a comment. But I hope the western world will shift away from what I would call communist mindset, and into what you would call a communist mindset. Capitalism in terms of economic policy is ultimately the superior system however.

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[–] BookWorm99 ago 

What I love about capitalism is it's "can-do" attitude. The idea that you can pull yourself out of whatever rut you're in. However, there are inherent problems in capitalism like, bubbles, overproduction, exploitation (not what the niggers call "exploitation", real exploitation like what they do to post-docs and grad students in academia), pollution and environmental impact and monopolization.

What I like about communism is it's efficiency of control. The 5 year plan scheme, their ability to unite on a united front. A coherent set of policies that have an unambiguous set of goals.

Communism too has problems, yet as you said discussing the problems with either system is more nuanced than the average arm-chair economist is willing to undertake. One thing I'll say though, I'll respect any capitalist so long as the capitalist's interests does not encroach on mine. One thing we call all agree is that societies progress better when they are homogeneous and not mixed with different peoples. Blacks in-particular have a very aggressive temperament and are adverse to hard labour. They deserve to have their own state, but I think that there should be states where blacks cannot go and leave us white folks alone.

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[–] FormerBaltimoreRes 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Capitalism didn't send anyone into space, educated europeans sent people into space.

[–] [deleted] 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

[Deleted]

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[–] prairie 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Blacks are the biggest white supremacists, whether they realize it or not. They are drawn to white-run countries.

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