@aekis_projects As far as the engineering method. I am not saying it is superior period. NASA's method is fine for NASA. But if you want to have a rapidly reusable rocket with a low per-unit cost, then yes this method is in my view more likely to produce that result.

Now, is launching lots of rockets a good idea? Or a policy failure? In this discussion I have attempted to steer clear of that question. I am trying to make the narrow claim that SpaceX is not failing to achieve their own engineering goals. Whether those goals are worthwhile is something I think I am not equipped to discuss. I am biased. I grew up in a spaceflight family since childhood. I want to believe. It's a good question, but not one I am well suited to discuss.

@aekis_projects As far as socializing costs and privatizing profits - this is kind of an odd point because NASA does not actually build rockets, and historically NASA has given way more funding to Boeing, ULA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Northrop Grumman than they have to SpaceX, even in just the last ten years. All spaceflight is government subsidized, and I am under the impression that SpaceX is using far less government money than the other players. Their low cost approach is saving taxpayers money!

I have waited my whole life for someone to lower the cost of space exploration enough to see an expansion of that work. To move our work to the moon and planets. Only a large and fully reusable rocket can do this. And SpaceX is leading the way.

@tlalexander I probably won't be able to get back to you before next week, but I wanted to say a quick thanks for the patience to keep the conversation going, quite a while ago that I was last able to have a discussion online of this quality, already gained quite a few valuable insights. Appreciate it!