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!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID 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. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
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.