On Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 11:31:07 PM UTC+2, Jeff Findley wrote:   
      
   <>   
      
   >    
   > Not when they're farming the work out to contractors on a cost plus    
   > basis.  Coming in cheaper or earlier than planned actually hurts long    
   > term profits in that case.  This is because using cost plus, the    
   > contractors generally get a certain percentage of profit out of what    
   > they're paid.  So if they're paid more, they make more overall profit.   
   >    
   > SpaceX isn't a contractor working on a cost plus contract.  Both    
   > commercial cargo and commercial crew are fixed cost.  So are all of    
   > their DOD launch contracts.  So are all of their commercial launch    
   > contracts.  SpaceX is also its own customer (i.e. Starlink).  So    
   > lowering launch costs is quite important to SpaceX.   
   >    
      
   This sounds a whole lot like SpaceX is competing in an unfair environment.   
   I.e.: the companies they are competing with are getting special treatment from   
   the purchaser (US gov and military).    
      
   Shouldn't there be lobby groups storming the Capitol to protest this?   
      
   How about Musk hires some lobbyists and some law firms and sues the   
   government? At this point its not like NASA can punish SpaceX by pulling their   
   funding or revoking their use of facilities at the Cape. NASA needs SpaceX to   
   continue the farce that is    
   ISS.    
      
   It's not like Boeing, etc. are not already drowning in government pork with   
   military aircraft contracts.   
      
   <>   
      
   > True.  Again, they're not a cost plus government contractor and are    
   > therefore not as subject to the whims of Congress.  It's Congress that    
   > came up with SLS and told NASA, by law, that they had to use those    
   > suppliers to build SLS.  There were no new contracts bid when switching    
   > from Ares to SLS.  That was all Congress's doing.   
      
   If it was Congress's will then Congress needs to pay for SLS, like out of   
   their personal pockets. This is clearly pork-politics, companies and   
   industries paying Congress to vote to give them more government money.   
      
   Folks in the US need to put a stop to this. If I understand the electoral   
   system there about half of the Congressional seats are up for grabs again in   
   the November Elections.   
      
   I'm not saying defund NASA, or Boeing, I'm just saying force them to compete   
   on a level playing field. In the end it would be better for NASA, and for   
   Boeing, if they can learn to conduct business like a real company again.   
      
   >    
   > Jeff   
   > --    
   > All opinions posted by me on Usenet News are mine, and mine alone.     
   > These posts do not reflect the opinions of my family, friends,    
   > employer, or any organization that I am a member of.   
      
      
   Take care,   
      
   REgards   
   Frank   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)