Succesful launch of Falcon Heavy

[Anomalocaris]

But think about it, a wacko who thinks it makes sense to launch an electric car into space has a better space program than the US.

Musk is impressive. His work is the Apollo launches of this era! Impressive accomplishments. When I first read of his goals, thought pie in the sky. Soon, I believe a private entity might make it to Mars before any nation.

Launching satellites is big profitable business.  Hence private funding for rockets in the expectation for return on investment.    Launching capsules to the space station is big profitable business because it taps int}o the rich vein of government funding made possible by 5 successive administrations touting the illusory virtues of a space station and tying national prestige to it, hence private funding for capsules in the expectation of return on investement.

What is the motivation for private funding for a manned trip to Mars?

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But think about it, a wacko who thinks it makes sense to launch an electric car into space has a better space program than the US.

"wacko"? He need a payload for Falcon H and an unproven system isn't appealing to the insurance companies. I'm pretty sure he can afford another car.

I am joking.  Also, for an amount equally trivial to him he could have financed a rack carrying some useful payload like a privately funded disposible experiments.

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......yet another opportunity to export undesirables off-world passes us by.

Indeed, 50 tons of payload is enough to send the the shit gibbon, his immediate family, all slime molds who could sink so low as to consent to be in his administration, plus the whole republican congress crawling critter contingent into outer space, or at least burn up trying.  Also, unlike the electric car, that payload would have been of absolutely no use whatsoever if left on the ground.