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PayPal Founder Wants To Launch Satellites

Posted by Hemos on from the go-up-up-up-going-up-up-up dept.

XNormal writes "Elon Musk, founder of Zip2 and PayPal is planning to build a launcher for small satellites. Much of his personal fortune come from the IPO of PayPal and subsequent sale to eBay. The amount of money he plans to spend on this project is not much more than Denis Tito spent on his space station visit. The difference is that this venture actually tries to do something productive. Elon is also behind the Life to Mars mission."

9 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Productive? by duncan+bayne · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The difference is that this venture actually tries to do something productive.

    Excuse me? I thought that Tito purchased an orbital holiday for ~ $20 million.

    Now, I can imagine how much I'd enjoy an orbital holiday. It'd be a lot of fun: an exciting new sensation that I'd be unlikely (in the present climate) to experience ever again. I imagine Tito felt the same.

    So, how was this purchase not productive? Tito gained (an orbital holiday), the Russians gained (money for the space project). I suspect your criticism of it as being unproductive is in part due to the fact that it was unashamedly self-interested (good on him for it!), and in part because you couldn't afford it yourself.

    1. Re:Productive? by bravehamster · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Hear, hear! I'm tired of hearing people bitch about how rich people throw their money away doing frivolous things. It's not like Tito pushed the money into the vacuum of space. He paid peoples salaries, and helped the Russians keep up their part of the ISS bargain. Just because someone spends money on something you may consider stupid doesn't mean that money is gone. I have yet to see a single economic report that says that spending money is a Bad Thing(tm).

      --
      ---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
    2. Re:Productive? by Tseran · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not sure if you realize this, but being in space is not something a lot of people would enjoy. Why? While in space, free-floating in 'weightlessness' you have the sensation of falling....constantly. In essence, you are falling. You are falling around the earth. Now, I don't know about you, but unless you enjoy the feeling of falling, this would be very nauseating. I have been in small planes doing dives before, nowhere near freefall speed, and that was enough to churn my stomach. Weightlessness is not pleasant to everyone. If you don't believe me about the falling sensation, ask a physics professor.

      --
      .sig: It's what's for dinner.
  2. Lifetomars... by packeteer · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The life to mars site is pretty cool too. I think the best idea is the comm sat on mars. If there were soem dedicated communications satalites up there maybe some of the problems with failed missions could be avoided.

    --
    unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
  3. Re:What is it about... by Mitreya · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... non-multi-millionaires that seem to know better how to spend the millions that other people have.
    He is not better than everyone else, but certainly is richer... and though Paypal is fairly evil, he is sorta entitled to spend his money the way he likes...
    I am pretty sure that if one day you have too many millions to count you might take a different perspective on the space travel...

  4. Sometimes you need a small load by astrashe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you go to the warehouse grocery store, you pay less than you do at 7-11. And if you use a big vehicle, you get a better price per kg. There are economies of scale.

    But what if what you're lofting doesn't weight 40x as much? Wouldn't it be nice to get the good price anyway? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go to 7-11 and the a single can of soda for the same price you pay for a can when you buy a case at the warehouse store?

    This guy is no dummy, and I'm sure he's identified a market.

  5. Re:Somehow the math doesn't add up! by denisonbigred · · Score: 2, Insightful

    while i am certainly no expert on the matter of shooting things into space, there are certainly many other variables one must consider for the cost of shooting you (A PERSON) into space that doesnt concern an inanimate 420kg load. for example, air, you are breathing it, the hunk of metal isnt and it costs money to provide that air. also, liability and insurance issues must be of some concern.

    --

    "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals."
  6. Doing some more thinking... by WookieOnTheRun · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I was doing some more thinking on this and came to the same thoughts I did on the Space Trip journey thing. Is this really the best use for his money? I mean come on, I walk down my street and there's homeless people struggling for food, abused kids and whatnot... How about helping some life here? Oh yah and it doesn't help that your business ethics are about as positive as well, my karma rating.

  7. Paypalwarning.com is a scam by GarryOwen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Paypalwarning.com is a web site that appears to be on the same servers as http://www.jacobylawyers.com and and appears to be administered by the
    same person. Jacoby and Meyers are the lawyers pursuing the class action suit against Paypal.
    I question the integrity of any site sponsored by a bunch of lawyers looking for a big payoff.