SpaceX's plan to fly you across the globe in 30 minutes | Gwynne Shotwell
Why Hacker News recommends it
Pointed to in SpaceX threads as a window into the company's ambitions and leadership.
What it is
A TED conversation with SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell about the company's race to put people in orbit and the BFR rocket. It also covers the idea of using the rocket for fast point-to-point travel on Earth.
Recommended by 2 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2018 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Recommends joering2 · 2018-10 · on “Elon Musk Mocks SEC as 'Shortseller Enrichment Commission' Days After Settlement”
If you think Elon Musk is crazy, you have to listen to Gwynne Shotwell [1] She wants to meet other people in other solar systems, I presume while she's still alive. [this video]
Recommends thanosnose · 2018-11 · on “SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites”
Another interesting watch is the TED talk by SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell earlier this year. [this video] Say what you will about Musk, but the guy is truly ambitious and willing to shoot for the stars ( or mars at the moment ).
Cites fastball · 2020-12 · on “SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]”
SpaceX's goal[1] is to be able to ship people for around the cost of a business-class ticket[2] to the same destination. [1] [LINK] [2] [this video]
Cites macspoofing · 2021-03 · on “Concern in Europe that the Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets will not be competitive”
>The fact is SpaceX launched 50% of the global payload to Orbit, and over around 30% of all spacecraft. Again, I'm not arguing that SpaceX isn't capable of ferrying people or cargo into orbit, or that they don't have a viable business, or that they are not leaders in this market segment. That's all fine. I have no issues with Musk or SpaceX. I like seeing American companies succeeding. But perhaps Musk should dial down the hyperbole. >It my have a kernel of truth but if the 'truth' is something totally banal like 'Reusability is not a panacea.' then that doesn't actually make their arguments valid But reusability isn't a panacea for cost savings. There are real challenges with reusable rocke
Cites jve · 2025-06 · on “SpaceX Starship 36 Anomaly”
I love this quote from Gwynne Shotwell when asked how they achieved that no government has: "The first is that we're kind of standing on the shoulders of giants." Source: [this video]
Critical qayxc · 2020-12 · on “SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]”
Except totally unreasonable :) Rockets that size cannot be launched anywhere near populated areas, so they'd have to launch from off-shore platforms; outside of Australia, USA and Russia there are no worthwhile destinations that can safely host on-shore rocket launch complexes for that class of rocket. This poses quite complex logistical challenges that enthusiasts just love to handwave away. But there's even more to it: airspace needs to be closed on both launch and target sites. Weather will lead to scrubbed flights as rockets have much tighter weather parameters than aeroplanes and are incapable of changing routes mid flight or divert to alternate airfields. The most ridiculous part, howe