International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

[ramana]

How are Israelis able to do controlled demolition of multi storied buildings without collateral damage?

[chetonzz]

China has not even released an image of its landing. Only images are of scientists celebrating in the control room. Rover is supposed to roll off in 8 days. Cant understand why so much of secrecy.

i hope this can answer that...no conspiracy here i think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejk95PwqLIo

[brar_w]

FCAS/SCAF partner nations launch NGF demonstrator phase

The three governments issued a joint communique on 17 May in which they announced that Phase 1B and Phase 2 of the project had commenced. Phase 1B aims to develop a flying demonstrator of the New Generation Fighter (NGF) element of FCAS/SCAF, with Phase 2 being the actual manufacture of the demonstrator in time for its 2027 first flight.

“Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France; Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Minister of Defence of Germany; and Margarita Robles, Minister of Defence of Spain, are pleased to announce the finalisation of the discussions regarding the content of the next phase of the FCAS programme, aiming at developing a NGF demonstrator flying by 2027,” the communique said.

[NRao]

Boom Supersonic: 'Anywhere in the world in four hours for $100'

[arvin]

China has not even released an image of its landing. Only images are of scientists celebrating in the control room. Rover is supposed to roll off in 8 days. Cant understand why so much of secrecy.

i hope this can answer that...no conspiracy here i think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejk95PwqLIo

Maybe. But dont know why something doesnt fit right. Will wait for few days before commenting.

[chetonzz]

BTW first images of CCP mars lander are out on Internet

[arvin]

Okay. Now its much more credible. Funny it took them close to a week after landing to release the images.

[chola]

BTW first images of CCP mars lander are out on Internet

Looks like the rover is still on the landing craft and haven't come down yet. Those ramps look pretty narrow and flimsy. What are the odds that the rover will slide off and turn turtle?

Okay. Now its much more credible. Funny it took them close to a week after landing to release the images.

And the three months of orbiting before sending the lander down.

I would think that risks would increase the longer you wait.

Still have that feeling that they were looking for something they're not telling the world.

[arvin]

I would think that risks would increase the longer you wait.

Correct. I think since orbiter and lander had a combined mass of 5 tons it required gradually decreasing the orbit. Else if they wanted
to go the Perseverance way which started aerobraking without orbital capture, the feul penalty would have been hugh.

It seems that the longish orbital insertion was pre-planned.
https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eopo ... /tianwen-1

Mars orbit: After reaching Mars in February, the Tianwen-1 spacecraft will initially enter a long-period capture orbit around the Red Planet. The orbiter will eventually settle in a loop around Mars ranging between 265 km and nearly 12,000 km over the Martian poles.
As soon as next April, the lander and rover modules will detach from the orbiter to begin a descent through the Martian atmosphere. Radar soundings from orbit have indicated the presence of a reservoir of ice containing as much water as Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, in the Utopia Planitia region targeted by Tianwen-1’s lander.

This is the orbital capture in the above link.

[NRao]

Tanking goes automatic

Airbus A330 MRTT auto refuelling system completes development phase

........

[NRao]

Source: Rostec creates a single-engine lightweight supersonic "invisible" fighter

Original is in Russian. Following is Google translate

MOSCOW, May 26. / TASS /. Sukhoi (part of the United Aircraft Corporation of the Rostec State Corporation) is developing the first Russian single-engine light tactical fighter with supersonic speed and low radar signature. This was reported to TASS by a source in the aircraft industry.

The Sukhoi company is developing the first single-engine light tactical aircraft in the modern history of Russia with a take-off weight of up to 18 tons. The aircraft will develop a maximum flight speed of more than Mach 2, and also has super-maneuverability and improved take-off and landing characteristics due to the deflected vector of the engine thrust, the thrust-to-weight ratio aircraft at least 1 ", - said the interlocutor of the agency.

In December 2020, the head of the Rostec state corporation, Sergei Chemezov, told reporters that Rostec is proactively working on the concept of a promising single-engine aircraft in light and medium classes. According to him, it can be a universal platform in manned and unmanned versions. Development is done proactively without budget funds.

[NRao]

Croatia Is Getting French Rafale Multirole Fighters To Replace Its Veteran MiG-21s

[Philip]

Yes,12 early tranche ones,why couldn't we have thought of that too as we're acquiring 21 early bird MIG-29s to be upgraded too? The Croatian Rafales would certainly be better than any old M2Ks which would also need upgrading at $50M a pop.

[Philip]

Defence Blog:
https://defence-blog.com/russia-to-arm- ... e-missile/?

Russia to arm Mi-28NM helicopter with long-range cruise missile
NEWSAVIATIONMISSILES & BOMBS
By
Dylan Malyasov
May 29, 2021

Russian defense industry source has revealed plans to add new missiles with a range of 100 km to the Mi-28NM attack helicopter’s arsenal.

In the interview with the RIA Novosti news agency, the source said that an upgraded Mi-28NM attack helicopter will be fitted with a new guided missile which was developed under a program known as Izdeliye 305 (meaning “product 305”).

“The ability to carry four cruise missiles at once puts the Mi-28NM on the type of targets it can hit – on a par with front-line bombers,” the source said.

The Izdeliye 305 is a new generation of guided missiles with a maximum range of 100 kilometers and designed to launch from a helicopter. It is intended to destroy armored vehicles and reinforced concrete fortifications.

[NRao]

[NRao]

Source: Su-57 fighter will be able to fly up to four Okhotnik drones

MOSCOW, June 1. / TASS /. The pilot of the fifth generation Su-57 fighter will simultaneously coordinate the actions of four newest Hunter heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This was reported to TASS by a source in the aircraft industry.

"Now the possibilities of controlling several attack drones from the cockpit of the Su-57 are being worked out. It is assumed that the fighter will carry from two to four Hunters with it," he said.

TASS has no official confirmation of this information.

As previously reported to TASS in the press service of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the newest UAV "Okhotnik" will hit air and ground targets as part of network-centric interaction with the Su-57 fighter. When used together, drones will solve a full range of tasks, working on air and ground targets under the command of a leading manned vehicle.

The Su-57 is designed to destroy all types of air, ground and surface targets. The aircraft has a supersonic cruising speed, internal armament, radio-absorbing coating ("stealth" technology), as well as the latest complex of onboard equipment.

Developed in the Sukhoi design bureau, the S-70 Okhotnik drone is made according to the "flying wing" scheme with the use of stealth technology, which reduces its radar signature. According to open sources, the takeoff weight of the vehicle is up to 20 tons, the maximum flight speed is about 1,000 km / h. Serial deliveries are planned to begin in 2024. "Hunter" first took to the air on August 3, 2019, the flight lasted more than 20 minutes under the control of the operator. On September 27 last year, the UAV flew together with the Su-57 fighter.

[LakshmanPST]

KF21 prototype is apparently dismantled. Is it normal for a prototype to be dismantled and reassembled during tests...?
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/20 ... 00302.html

Two months after its much-ballyhooed April 9 unveiling, the KF-21 Boramae is being dismantled, raising awkward questions about the true readiness of the prototype of Korea's first indigenously developed fighter jet.

In stark contrast with its glossy grey appearance at the April ceremony, the prototype has reportedly already been stripped of its engine and various components, leaving it nearly exposed to its underlying frame and propped up on supporting beams.

As the prototype essentially returns to the assembly phase, critics are asking if the jet, dubbed the Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X) prior to its official unveiling, was hastily assembled to appear ready before the ceremony, which was attended by President Moon Jae-in and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.

The view of various experts is that the removal of crucial components of the plane, such as its landing gear, refueling and key piloting systems, goes above and beyond what is necessary before tests are conducted on the jet.

“Even if [the dismantling] is in preparation for a ground test, a wholesale disassembly is difficult to comprehend,” said a retired Air Force general who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“Normally, the unveiling of a prototype takes place before the final ground test and test flight,” he added, suggesting that the prototype was not, in fact, flight-worthy before its unveiling.

While an official from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), which is responsible for domestic weapons development and oversaw the KF-21 project, said that the dismantling was part of a “planned phase in the ground test process,” others are not buying that explanation.

An aerospace industry insider who also asked to remain anonymous said, “Even after assembly [of a plane] is completed, there are many particulars to check, such as the center of gravity, which may not align with the design.

You can now read The Korea JoongAng Daily on NAVER
“However, [the jet’s dismantling] exceeds the usual replacement of small components or inspections.”

Although DAPA and the jet’s manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), have said that the KF-21 prototype is scheduled to undertake its maiden flight next year, even a ground test would be difficult to conduct with its engine dismounted.

While the prototype’s assembly process was extensively publicized through media tours at KAI’s main factory in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, requests for current photos of the KF-21 from the JoongAng Ilbo were rebuffed.

“We don’t want to create any misunderstandings by showing people the disassembled prototype after they already saw the completed jet,” said an anonymous source at KAI.

A military source suggested that the prototype, which was originally scheduled to be completed in May, was finished to coincide with the Indonesian defense delegation’s April visit to Korea.

Indonesia is the only major foreign investor in the KF-21 project, paying 1.6 trillion won ($1.4 billion), or 20 percent, of the 8.5 trillion won development price tag. The Southeast Asian country will eventually receive 50 out of a total 170 jets.

“The government is anxious that Indonesia is reviewing plans to acquire French Dassault Rafale fighter jets,” the source said. “If Indonesia gives up its role in funding the KF-21, the government can plug the resulting budget shortfall, but it would throw cold water on export plans.”

[NRao]

Falcon 9:

[Pratyush]

United Airlines unveils plan to revive supersonic jet travel

They are making a 3 billion dollar bet on the future of supersonic travel with 15 potential orders.

[NRao]

United Airlines unveils plan to revive supersonic jet travel

They are making a 3 billion dollar bet on the future of supersonic travel with 15 potential orders.

USAF Issues Contracts for Supersonic Air Force One


Exosonic and Hermeus have recently won USAF Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate contracts to develop supersonic and hypersonic aircraft, respectively, as potential transports for the President and other top U.S. leaders. Hermeus is working on this Mach 5, 20-passenger aircraft that could shorten the trip from New York to London to 90 minutes. (Photo: Hermeus)

A year later:

A Next-Gen Supersonic Air Force One Could Be Flying Next Decade


Exosonic is working on a supersonic presidential plane. Photo: Exosonic

[tandav]

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/ico ... -to-china/

The ICON A5 is an Amphibious aircraft that I have been following for a while now. The plane is designed to allow novices to take to sky with minimal training. Such planes could become part of an Ola like fleet of intercity air taxis. Of course there are military applications of the key technologies such as the advanced composite manufacturing.

In 2013 Chinese investment has taken majority stake in ICON and recently the Chinese controlled board are trying to shift key technology to China. Fairly certain this has already happened. But got to give it to the Chinese, after the Ukrainian engine acquisition and many other key areas they know how to acquire technology and more importantly digest it easily

[NRao]

Rafael unveils Seabreaker, a new missile with 300 km range

[brar_w]

F-35 powers to victory in Swiss fighter contest

Switzerland will replace its Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters with 36 Lockheed Martin F-35As, following a decision announced by Bern on 30 June.

The nation’s Air2030 selection has delivered a dual blow to European industry, with Switzerland’s Federal Council having rejected offers of the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon – along with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet – and the Eurosam SAMP/T air-defence system. The programme’s ground-based air defence component will be met by acquiring five Patriot systems from Raytheon.

“An evaluation has revealed that these two systems offer the highest overall benefit at the lowest overall cost,” Bern’s Armasuisse defence procurement agency says.

While all four fighter candidates met the nation’s evaluation requirements, Armasuisse says the F-35A procurement bill will total Swfr5.07 billion ($5.48 billion) – roughly Swfr2 billion lower than any of the rival proposals. Bern has budget approval to spend Swfr6 billion on the new fighter fleet, plus Swfr2 billion on air-defence equipment.

“With 336 [evaluation] points, it showed the highest overall benefit and was the clear winner, with a lead of 95 points or more over the other candidates,” it says. The F-35A came first in three of its four main assessment categories, falling short only in terms of direct industrial participation.

Factoring in projected operating costs over a 30-year period, the F-35A acquisition should cost approximately Swfr15.5 billion, Armasuisse says.

“In terms of effectiveness, the F-35A achieved the best result because it has a marked technological advantage over the other candidates: it includes entirely new, extremely powerful and comprehensively networked systems for protecting and monitoring airspace,” Armasuisse says. Also pointing to the type’s stealthy design, it adds that “the resulting high survivability is a great advantage for the Swiss air force”.

The type’s “ease of operation… requires about 20% fewer flight hours than other candidates, and about 50% fewer take-offs and landings than the air force’s current jet aircraft”.

The Lockheed type also ranked first with regard to product support, “because of its efficient operation and maintenance, modern training design, and the high security of supply throughout its service life”.

An assessment of co-operation potential also placed the US model ahead of its rivals, “offering extensive opportunities for operational collaboration and broad access to data and technical resources”.

However, “In direct offset, the F-35A did not achieve the best result at the time the bid was made,” it says. “The offset obligation of 60% of the order must be fulfilled in full no later than four years after receipt of the final delivery.” RUAG will be responsible for in-country maintenance.

“Switzerland will become the 15th nation to join the F-35 programme of record, joining several European nations in further strengthening global air power and security,” says Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed’s general manager of the F-35 programme.

“Swiss industry will have the opportunity to participate in research and development, production and sustainment opportunities that will extend their capabilities into the future,” Lockheed says.

Introduction of the new fleet is scheduled for completion by 2030, with deliveries expected to commence in 2027.

[NRao]

---Post Deleted----

Mod Note: This is a military forum. Be mindful of what you post.

[Rakesh]

F-35 powers to victory in Swiss fighter contest

Great news. Congrats to the Swiss.

[brar_w]

Qatar’s Massive Increase In Military Power Comes With Political, Logistical Headaches

After an unprecedented spending spree that is set to increase its number of warplanes by 900 percent, the Qatari government finds itself wrestling with a logistics problem: how the small oil-rich nation of 550,000 people will man and operate its now vast arsenal of weapons.

A plan appears to be underway, with the Qatari government intending to station some 36 of its warplanes and transporters in Turkey under a five-year-long “temporary deployment” agreement. But that move could create political headaches for both nations, with the French government having to weigh domestic politics and a desire to expand its defense industrial footprint in the region.

The agreement, in the works for some time and finally signed by the Chiefs of Staff of both countries in Doha on March 2nd, 2021, allows Qatar to deploy jet fighters and transporters from Turkish bases for the purpose of training and providing support within the host country’s airspace.

According to Qatari and Turkish press reports, some 12 Qatari Rafale fighters and 10 Mirage 2000 warplanes, along with C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 transporters, will be deployed in Turkey under the agreement (There is no clear information on when Qatar intends to deploy its planes to Turkey.) Its a strengthening of the relationship between the two countries; Turkey has a military base in Doha with some 5,000 troops stationed there.

The agreement, which has not been made public officially but was leaked to the media, mentions that Qatar will be building the required facilities to accommodate the warplanes, along with its pilots and support crews.

The agreement gives Qatar a place to base its new warplanes and train its pilots, while consolidating relations with Turkey. Ankara, meanwhile, gets to strengthen its geo-strategic position by ensuring firm military ties with a major oil and gas producer in the middle of Gulf Arab states bordering one of its main regional competitors — Saudi Arabia. Looking down the road, the basing of the fighter jets could become permanent, and Doha might even consider donating them to Ankara as a token of appreciation, if approval is granted from Paris.

According to industry sources and experts, deploying offensive warplanes in a foreign country requires the prior approval of the country where the planes were built — in this case France, where government officials have maintained silence on the issue.

Breaking Defense reached out via email to the French Ministry of Defense (MoD) seeking comments on the Turkish-Qatari pact. The French MoD acknowledged its awareness of the agreement and pointed out that “only paragraph 15 of article 4 concerns fighter planes and that it is only mentioned that in the event of the flight of (Qatari) fighter planes a Turkish plane must be part of the flight.”

The agreement also allows for the Turks to have at least one observation officer on a Qatari transport plane. Notably, the agreement does not touch on whether a Turkish officer would be allowed to fly the Qatari planes, or to fly in a two-seat variant of either the Rafale or Mirage. (Qatar operates both single-seat and two-seat fighter jets; it is unknown at this time whether any two-seat variants would be among those placed in Turkey.)

Further questions about whether the MoD approved the deployment of the French-built fighters in Turkey or has signed off on them being flown by Turkish pilots were not returned by press time. However, some experts believe Paris might see benefits in permitting the deployment of the Qatari fighters, despite likely domestic opposition and possible reservations from foreign players.

According to Justine Mazonier, a French independent security consultant, this agreement could give the French defense industry a step towards penetrating the Turkish market — a long sought goal.

“France tried for many years to enter the Turkish market (despite the arms embargo in 2019). The Turkish military staff would be able to assess the quality of the French material and define for themselves their own operational needs,” Mazonier said.

Turkey’s relationship with many of its NATO allies has become strained in recent years, but Mazonier said that French-Turkish relations have quietly been on an upswing in 2021.

Still, the French defense industry will need to tread carefully, given that Greece — whose longstanding strains with Ankara have become only worse thanks a dispute over oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean — has recently started taking delivery of 18 Rafale fighters from France. And domestic politics can’t be ignored.

“I imagine it will not be easy for (French President Emmanuel) Macron to overtly have French warplanes in Turkey given his domestic struggles around Islam and Arabs in France. Certainly being seen as getting close to the Turkish leader would not be good for him in an election year,” said Pete Moore, Visiting Kuwait Chair at Paris School of International Affairs.

There is a clear hole in Turkey’s military fleet that the Rafale could fill. Ankara’s decade-long plans to acquire the fifth generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from the US was dashed after its contract with the United States was cancelled due to Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.

France is unlikely to have the same concerns the US did about the S-400 gathering information on the stealthy fighter, as the Rafale lacks that capability and has been in service much longer than the F-35, said Mazonier.

She added that the Qatari fighters in Turkey will not likely be armed and therefore “Turkish observers placed in the cockpit would only be able to assess the flight endurance of the Rafales during the exercise” without having access to sensitive systems on the warplanes.

Balancing Act

Many experts believe Qatar has a serious problem in absorbing the large quantities of warplanes and naval ships it purchased right after its 2017 crisis with its Arab neighbors — Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt — that broke off relations and imposed a blockade on it. When the dispute ended last December and relations were restored, Qatar suddenly found itself with a lot of gear and no clear path forward.

“The reason for the Qatari military build-up is mainly the perception, rightly or wrongly, that Saudi Forces (probably with support from other allies) were going to invade Qatar in 2017 and engineer a ‘regime change,’” said Gawdat Bahgat, Professor of national security at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies.

Up to 2017, the Qatar Air Force was made up of one squadron of 12 Mirage 2000 warplanes, 18 transporters (C-17, C-130J, Boeing 707 & 727 and Airbus 340), 21 PC-21 Pilatus trainers and 46 helicopters for utility and attack missions.

But since then, Qatar has signed contracts worth at least $30 billion to purchase a wave of new equipment, including 36 F-15QA jetfighters and 24 Apache helicopter gunships from the US, some 24 Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes and nine Hawk trainers from Britain, 28 NH-90 helicopters from Italy, and 36 Rafales and 2 A330 MRTT aerial refueling planes from France. The Qatari Navy, meanwhile procured eight new vessels, which will nearly double the size of the fleet. The deliveries of these aircraft, corvettes and offshore patrol boats started this year and expected to end in 2024.

Put another way: the number of modern attack jets in the Qatari Air Force arsenal is to increase nine times over a seven year period — with about 108 new warplanes, and their fleets of helicopters will more than double in size.

That raises the obvious question of where Qatar can find the manpower for their new arsenal, and where will it train them.

The deal with Turkey could be one of the ways that Qatar could go about achieving the training part. Qatar has reportedly signed a contract with Boeing to train its pilots in the United States, and is close to concluding a deal to purchase M-346 advanced trainers from Leonardo and to train pilots in Italy.

Qatar could also end up commissioning officers from abroad to serve in its Air Force and Navy to fill up the likely big gaps in manpower shortage. Commissioning foreign officers, especially from European and American military and ex-servicemen from some Arab and Muslim countries, is common in the Gulf Arab States.

“Expanding the air force and navy can be seen as an ‘insurance policy.’ The royal family perceived the threat of a regime change as an existential threat,” Bahgat said. “The only way to address this threat was also to ally with another major regional power — Turkey.”

[Manish_P]

^ Pakistani AF pilots are anyway flying for the Turkish Sultan. They can be seconded sorry third-ed to the Qataries.

PS- so the PAF will get hands-on with the Rafale.

[kit]

. Before they entered into a spat with France, France was working on missile defense tech with them.

BMD ? Any links Brar_w ?

[brar_w]

. Before they entered into a spat with France, France was working on missile defense tech with them.

BMD ? Any links Brar_w ?

https://www.defensenews.com/global/euro ... nce-italy/

[kit]

BMD ? Any links Brar_w ?

https://www.defensenews.com/global/euro ... nce-italy/

Thank you Brar_w ; looks like Turkey went Russian on the Air defence venture

[brar_w]

Their indigenous program still exists and it is quite possible that they do cooperate at some level with Italy and France down the road if the political winds change.

[Cyrano]

Didn't see it being discussed here:

Russia's Secret New Fighter Jet CheckMate Is Officially Out in the Open




The mock up shows a single engine, single seat fighter with a strange intake, tail less delta wing and twin canted all moving tail fins. Internal weapons bay. Not sure about timelines for prototype rollout or first flight.

If this is Russia's answer to F-35 the Americans have nothing to worry.

[brar_w]

It's being discussed in the Russian Military thread.

[ldev]

And Elon Musk has done it again!! By stacking Starship SN20 on to Super Heavy Booster #4 for a brief stacking test on Friday, August 6, he has created the tallest and heaviest space launch vehicle ever assembled at 395 feet from nose to it's Raptor engine tail, taller than the Saturn V of Apollo fame and with a launch weight of approximately 5000 tons!!

A Starship orbital flight plan submitted by SpaceX to the Federal Aviation Administration includes some firsts for the Starship program, which has been regularly testing prototypes for flight operations. According top that plan, the Super Heavy Booster 4, after hefting its first Starship prototype aloft, will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) offshore. Meanwhile, Starship will boost itself into orbit for the first time, fly around the Earth once and then return over the Pacific Ocean — near the Hawaiian island of Kauai — roughly 90 minutes after launch

[ldev]

Fascinating interview with Elon Musk as he provides a tour of the SpaceX Texas launch facility for Starship and Superheavy. This combination will provide a 2 stage to orbit capability!! And the liftoff T/W ratio will be about 1.5x, quite unprecedented. The total weight of the launch vehicle will be about 5000 tons and 33 Raptor engines for the Super Heavy stage will each provide a thrust of 230 KN. Full flow staged combustion cycle being manufactured at scale for the first time with Methanol and LOX. This is where at scale manufacturing comes in. The Soviets were the first to build a prototype of a full flow staged combustion motor but Musk has achieved the almost impossible by manufacturing the Raptor engine at scale i.e run rate of 180 engines per year. But I guess given that SpaceX produced 400 Merlin engines per year for the Falcon 9, this should not be a surprise. But given the newer engine tech for the Raptor, it is a phenomenal achievement.

[NRao]

^^^^^

Part 3 of the above interview. Elon has offered to redo this interview, for comparative purposes, in a month!!

[ldev]

^^^^^
Thanks NRao. This 3 part video is amazing. Gives an insight into how driven Musk is to achieve his goals. When your goal is a permanent self sustaining Mars settlement, then every minute is precious and hence the frenetic pace at which SpaceX operates. You can hear that when Musk says that the fulfillment of the self sustaining goal of a Mars colony will be beyond his life time. Also the stark difference in lifestyle between him and people like Bezos:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
·
Jun 9
My primary home is literally a ~$50k house in Boca Chica / Starbase that I rent from SpaceX. It’s kinda awesome though.

Only house I own is the events house in the Bay Area. If I sold it, the house would see less use, unless bought by a big family, which might happen some day.

The man lives on site where the launch pad and production facilities are, in a $50K house in this small Texas town. And owns no other real estate other than a house in the Bay area to host events for SpaceX and Tesla. By the way, did you notice that the Senior Director in charge of the launch pad construction is "Sam Patel". Impressive

[k prasad]

^^^^ Don't believe everything that the Elongated Muskrat says, saar. Notice how he says its the only house he 'owns'. Lots of "Ashwatthama Hatho gajah" possible in there. Having worked in the company for a bit, there's a lot of interesting stuff one hears by the coffee machine that leaves one equal parts in awe and equal parts bewildered. The myth of the man has been meticulously built.

Anyway, this is OT for the thread, so mods, please feel free to delete my post if it falls foul of things.

[brar_w]

^^^^ Don't believe everything that the Elongated Muskrat says, saar...

Very well put. There is a huge PR machine behind the cult so best to focus on the company and its performance (and how it's impacting the space industry) than what is being packaged around EM. The guy is worth nearly $200 Billion so it's safe to assume that he isn't living out of a trailer parked somewhere close to BC site though he might periodically use that facility when he's around. The "only house I own" argument doesn't apply to billionaires like it does to common folk like us..

[Rakesh]

Well put k prasad and brar_w

Loved both posts, especially the term Elongated Muskrat. Some folks get caught up in the cult