SpaceX is not Tesla. It's disingenuous to call SpaceX a "company that makes trucks". Just like NASA, they also make precision scientific instruments. They're the first privately funded mission to the ISS and run a massive satellite constellation.

They may not have the same accomplishments as NASA, but they're far from a "company that makes trucks".

> Just like NASA, they also make precision scientific instruments.

Which scientific instruments does SpaceX make? I have never heard of a single one.

In contrast, curiosity rover has dozens.

https://youtu.be/GUQ91fdYbP4

You think their satellite fleet has absolutely no precise equipment for knowing and maintaining its position? Or for communicating with terminals and each other?

Like, come on. I get shitting on Musk is the cool new thing, but this is genuinely the case where SpaceX is doing cool things in space, and at an extremely fast pace. Get over yourself if you can’t see through your Musk hate and only see them as “a company that builds trucks”.

The analogy is apt in at least defining a separation between the overall complexity of what SpaceX produces compared to NASA, to say something of how the two different models of R&D work, but maybe off in degrees as you discussed.

"NASA makes precision scientific instruments and SpaceX makes precision scientific instruments that have higher tolerances with a higher focus on throughput, and there are rapidly diminishing returns in how much funding can be used to close the gap" is probably the right take if not as fun.

> Spacex vehicle has never left the Earth-moon system.

https://www.whereisroadster.com/

Not your typical space vehicle

Lol “spacex makes trucks”. Way to throw on the anti-Musk blinders and completely ignore the back-half of the comment and misunderstand the first half.

Also, spacex has launched outside of the earth-moon system. It was a roadster