Space shuttle did the same thing with the solid rocket boosters decades ago.

The govt didn't fail, it just didn't want to spend the money on it. You've got dozens of special interests whining about money going to the space program, give it to me instead. After a couple dozen years of that, the govt gave in.

Well yeah, but that's semantics. Whatever the reason, they failed to advance our manned space program the way everyone would've envisioned after the moon landing and then eventually left us without one.

People are excited about this because for the first time in a long time it feels like there's someone with a real vision for the future and just enough independence from all the political crap to actually get us somewhere.

The government funded this.

Hence why I said "just enough" instead of "total". It's still a private corporation with some degree of autonomy.

I mean really, think about that. Just sad that we have done ****all for like 40 years+.

While this is all absolutely incredible, in 10 years we will watch this video and laugh at how basic it was. Exciting times!

Endeavor (DM2) is scheduled to dock with the ISS Sunday at 10:30am edt.

"Reusable" - yes, Inexpensive - Not even close

The level of refurbishment required took months. Often, out of the four Space Shuttles, only one would be fully assembled.

What the hell else were they going to do? They already went to the moon multiple times. Everything worthwhile they already did there. They flew into orbit to the various space stations many times.

It's orders of magnitude more expensive and risky to go to Mars, another worthless rock. There's nothing there. Everyone knows there's nothing there.

People are excited because they weren't born during the earlier space program. Unfortunately they aren't going to do anything they haven't already done.

It was worth going to the moon, for strategic purposes especially. We didn't want the Soviet Union setting up missile platforms there. But we found it was made of the crap we thought it was, no more mysteries.

Mars, not so much. It's much farther away, nobody is going to put missile platforms on it. We've sent enough robots to know there are no mysteries there either, Matt Damon movies notwithstanding.

Sure, it could make a jumping off point for longer exploration, but not until someone invents an Epstein drive. Traveling with current technology takes the better part of a year. It's ridiculous to go anywhere from there other than back to earth.

Mars will be awesome even though nothing is there. Besides it all goes to a long long long term goal off getting human civilization in more then 1 place before our guaranteed extinction by staying on earth.

The moon again is an easy way to test human mars landers ect. HD video of it will also be cool.

Wow. I don't even know what to say other than I'm glad there are people in this world with more imagination than you.

Could the earth ever get so bad that Mars is better?

Large asteroid's that we somehow totally miss, too many people, supervolcano, crazy death virus. Obv we need to leave the solar system to avoid super crazy stuff but just being on Mars helps a lot. The next step after that would be generational space ships, high speed travel using time dilation to go places in a single lifetime.

Watch The Expanse. Although what they show of Mars is not so great either.

Mars at least doesn't have race riots or shut down when there's a cold going round

What's a race riot?

Still done sh*t all. Private companies have had to carry the load

how is the dragon being filmed right now? did they deploy a drone or is it telescope?

The ISS has been sending back video as it approaches, if that's the footage you mean.

Docking just about to start.

Pretty impressive stuff.

Keep feeding the imagination of the younger generation for STEM sprinkled with Sci/fi dreams

So much to build.. Moon, Mars, its going to be amazing.