Comments on: Europe once again delays test flights of its Callisto 1st stage hopper https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/europe-once-again-delays-test-flights-of-its-callisto-1st-stage-hopper/ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:57:31 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: AO1 https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/europe-once-again-delays-test-flights-of-its-callisto-1st-stage-hopper/#comment-1622915 Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:57:31 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=117418#comment-1622915 “At this moment it appears several private companies in Europe will have flown their own new rockets before Callisto even gets off the ground”

Don’t forget Honda just came out of nowhere (unless I missed previous announcements of progress) and did a hot test!

]]> By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/europe-once-again-delays-test-flights-of-its-callisto-1st-stage-hopper/#comment-1622910 Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:09:56 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=117418#comment-1622910 Robert,
You sound too critical of this project. Like most government space projects, the whole purpose seems to be jobs. Because it keeps going, like the Energizer Bunny, these jobs are secure.

I may seem sarcastic about the jobs aspect of space projects, but that is a serious side effect of the commercial space industry. SpaceX made access to space much more affordable (did it reduce the number of launch jobs?), and the invention of the cubesat made purchase of space satellites (artificial satellites) much more affordable. Reducing these costs has resulted in a tremendous number (uncountable number) of commercial space businesses now doing business in space or in support of space operations, and more of these businesses start up each month (or each week, or maybe even each day).

Commercial space operates much more efficiently, but instead of a reduction in the overall number of jobs, there has been a booming increase.

What a success that efficiency and effectiveness is over the slow plodding of government projects.

]]>