‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

How SpaceX streamlined the Raptor engine

249 points · 125 comments · JumpCrisscross

  1. WalterBright · · focus · HN ↗
    According to Isaacson's biography of Musk, Musk relentlessly challenges the existence of every part in Tesla and SpaceX machines. He's willing to go too far, having to sometimes put a part back in.

    Everything in the manufacturing process is also challenged to justify its existence.

    This is how he managed to reduce the costs by 90%.

    1. xondono · · focus · HN ↗
      > According to Isaacson's biography

      Isaacson’s “biographies” are glorified puff pieces. Musk is as unrecognizable in his as Jobs was in his.

      Both Tesla and SpaceX had teams keeping Musk busy on bs just so that the engineering teams could do their work.

      The second he took control, we got the cybertruck and the starship, the worse products both companies ever built (or attempted, in the case of the starship).

      > Musk relentlessly challenges the existence of every part

      This sounds insightful until you find yourself debating with the CEO for the eleventh time about how his high-school understanding of the physics involved breaks down in a particular case.

      Musk is very lucky to be moving such quantities of money that his companies are big enough to protect themselves from him, if you ever wonder how Musk would fare on a tight budget, look no further than the Oceangate.

      1. inemesitaffia · · focus · HN ↗
        Neither Cybertruck nor Starship were designed by Musk.

        Cut your crap.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.