Is Google negotiating to become an investor in Virgin Galactic?
Is Google negotiating to become an investor in Virgin Galactic?
Several stories today say yes, but neither company is commenting. I suspect that if this is true, it is partly because Branson needs to find more investment capital because of the many delays in getting SpaceShipTwo off the ground.
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Is Google negotiating to become an investor in Virgin Galactic?
Several stories today say yes, but neither company is commenting. I suspect that if this is true, it is partly because Branson needs to find more investment capital because of the many delays in getting SpaceShipTwo off the ground.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
It looks like Google just wants to toss its cash all over the place.
Virgin has no way to insert satellites into a stable orbit so why would Google want to invest in them?
Their best bet would a be a company that can put their new satellites into orbit.
Google has other interest – possibly even moving into manned suborbital and orbital space? Virgin has problems, but they are a lot farther along then Google in this field.
Virgin has no plan or way of making an orbit.
All they are planning is pogo rides into sub space. How is that going to help Google?
The thing is Google has a load of stuff I call vapor cash. Cash made just from the increase in stock prices. Nothing material or service wise backing it.
AOL was like that at first but because it never diversified or purchased actual real business they eventually melted away. Now they are little more than a remaining thought on the internet.
Google is quickly trying to expand and has so much cash it can afford to toss a bunch into things that might not ever make a dollar. They can just write it off as a loss on their taxes.
LauncherOne?
Google would be better off working out a deal with Elon Musk.
Elons not looking like a buy recommendation to the market – and he doesn’t play well with others.
Though if they did want to develop a orbital capacity, there are better folks to team with.