Ralph Dinsley, founder of NORSS, which tracks objects in space, said the fact that Musk manufactured his own satellites and could launch them with his SpaceX rocket company meant he could move faster than rivals to occupy the most desirable orbital planes. “At the speed he is putting these into orbit, he is almost owning those orbital planes, because no one can get in there. He is creating a Musk sovereignty in space.”

  • 10_0
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    12 years ago

    i think that if the reusable rockets and technology developed by SpaceX were public domain, the rate of doing stuff in outer space, and space technology would be much faster, and make for a competitive industry. (it would avoid a total monopoly.)

    • poVoq
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      12 years ago

      Once something has been done, it is not especially difficult to replicate. There are several other companies working on re-usable rockets right now.

      SpaceX has a head-start for sure, but the main problem is that Ariane Space is a bureaucratic moloch that is incapable of producing a rocket that is even remotely competitive.