>>39569100Russian space program since collapse of Soviet Union has essentially been orbital taxi and delivery service. They might launch a scientific probe or a satellite once or twice a decade. Most of their scientific probes and satellites since collapse have either failed, have been delayed indefinitely or just cancelled. Spektr-R is pretty much only mostly Russian scientific mission that can be said to be successful since year 2000. Other Spektr missions have been delayed to insane level. Spektr-RG was supposed to be launched in 1995, then program was cancelled and restarted in 2002. It was supposed to be launched in 2008, currently launch delayed until 2019. Main instruments have been replaced by ones developed by University of Tel Aviv and Max Planck institute. Spektr-UV was supposed be launched in 2007, currently that one is delayed until 2021. Like with RG, UV's main instruments have been replaced with European ones.
>>39578826The open price tag is bullshit. Launch costs for commercial launches have been mostly known quantity for commercial launches. The thing is just that traditional launch providers are more expensive. Mostly due to what I said in this post
>>39576405. Another major factor in how SpaceX does their stuff cheaply is because they use Merlin engine for everything in Falcon, upper stage engine having vacuum optimized nozzle. With BFR they will use Raptor for everything. Traditional launch providers still have more flexible launch vehicles, mostly due to having lots of alternative final stages, they can launch payloads certain orbits and trajectories more economically. Merlin and Raptor are well optimized for handful of most common launch trajectories.
>>39578963If anything Musk became Steve Jobs replacement for hipsters mostly due to Tesla. Hipsters needed a tech god for a cult of personality. Tesla took off as business at right time for that to happen.
