Falcon 9 -- welcome back

[PonoBill]

So glad the Falcon 9 is back and Spacex isn't dead. What a beautiful rocket that is.

Pretty much stuck the landing on RTFI (what they should have named "just read the instructions")



the 9 comes off the pad like the old Saturn rockets--fast and straight.

[Chilly]

Amazing!
This is an older video and there are more on YouTube,

 

[Weasels wake]

So glad the Falcon 9 is back and Spacex isn't dead. What a beautiful rocket that is.

Pretty much stuck the landing on RTFI (what they should have named "just read the instructions")

Isn't that what RTFI stands for, Read the Fu(king Instructions?

[PonoBill]

The drone ship is named "Just Read The Instructions" after a ship in the Culture series of scifi books by Ian Banks. But yes, I like "Read The Fucking Instructions" better.

[johnysmoke]

When I worked tech support we used that one a lot. There was the "flashers," people who you knew had every electronic in their house blinking lights or flashing wrong info at them. Best just to get them off the phone, although if they lived near an airport or military base, might not be all their doing.
Also liked pebkac: problem exists between keyboard and chair.
Pretty exciting stuff happening these days, hope that guy gets to drive a profit at some point.

[PonoBill]

Profit is kind of an outmoded concept for high velocity companies. If you're selling standard widgets in a relatively stable market you need to make a profit to be a success. If you're developing a new line of ultrawidgets in a new market or set of markets, you need market share. A profit is an indication that you haven't optimized growth. What do you do with the profit? Give money back to shareholders so they can pay ordinary income tax on it? Most serious investors would rather see the company grow at a maximum rate.

Profit is how investors make ten percent on their money and spend 40 percent of that ten on tax. Growth is how investors get richer.

Spacex will NEVER make a profit. Not in the normal sense. Could be one of the world's most valuable companies eventually, but not profitable. There's too much forward investment required. It's why they'll probably never go public.

[johnysmoke]

Thank you for the insight Bill. I hope he gets to Mars.