[rbanffy]

> The upside was they got lots of data to improve the next rocket,

Or they could have done that the first time with a flame trench and a water deluge system that prevented the energy of the rockets from damaging the rockets dooming the first stage and making concrete rain on the neighboring wildlife reserve.

Elon could have verified that hypothesis with a full static fire test AND be able to see the damage to both rockets and pad from an actual launch without destroying a rocket.

This is why SpaceX grew from the start with an immune system to prevent Elon from ruining too much stuff.

[aik]

Is your argument that SpaceX has succeeded despite Elon, not in large part due to Elon?

[nemo]

SpaceX and Tesla both enjoyed most success despite Musk's continual rank incompetence by isolating him as the figurehead money guy while puffing his ego letting him cosplay a rocket scientist/tech expert for the press. At both companies he's got handlers to limit and manage the damage he causes. At Twitter he had no handlers and his rank incompetence is on full display, as it was in the PayPal days when he was rightly fired for incompetence.

[rbanffy]

He assembled a team and they learned to use him in the roles he fits best - getting attention and investment money. He is not a brilliant aerospace engineer.

I believe he’s better observed in Twitter, which is a company that didn’t develop an immune system to deal with him.