Only if you don't care about tossing money into the ocean. Literally everyone else does extensive testing before launch because it's usually just as useful and way cheaper.

Last time, the big thing that killed the test was damage from the pad exploding. Anyone could have told them they needed a deluge system, and anyone else would have done a test fire on the pad, but Elon wanted his headline and on the cheap.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 7 points 10 months ago

SpaceX does the testing before launch too. They test their engines and stages more than about anyone else. They are less conservative in their designs, so they push the limit with integrated testing.

[–] weew@lemmy.ca 4 points 10 months ago

Speaking of "tossing money in the ocean", tell me again how much money "literally everyone else" has spent so far on their rockets? Like, how's the Boeing Starliner doing? How much money is the SLS program saving taxpayers?

[–] cole@lemdro.id 2 points 10 months ago

if SpaceX is doing it so wrong it's interesting how they're managing to build the most advanced vehicles cheaper than anybody else. hmmm