You could always just fund the space agency you already have, instead of funneling money to a foreign billionaire.
We Should Immediately Nationalize SpaceX and Starlink
Submitted 2 months ago by Pro@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://jacobin.com/2025/06/musk-trump-nationalize-spacex-starlink
Comments
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
TronBronson@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No this the one time I’m with the commies. Nationalize that shit. Like you said it’s all taxpayer money anyway. A little bit of Wall Street speculation, but who gives a fuck about those people
A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 2 months ago
it’s all taxpayer money anyway
Good point.
ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 2 months ago
all taxpayer money anyway
Yes but with very little to show for it. If the government just treated all undelivered orders as debt, it would end up deep in the red.
Fenrisulfir@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
So you wanna nationalize the whole telecom industry then?
Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
NASA was always there and they couldn’t achieve what SpaceX has while simultaneously having a lot more capital to do so. I’m sorry but if there’s any proof that private sector’s self interest is a better driver of innovation than common interest SpaceX is it. This is a terrible idea that sounds like a good idea if you do not understand how good Musk was and is at cutting costs. That’s his actual real skill in business and is well documented. Doesn’t make him less of a prick but you also cannot downplay what he has achieved with this company.
AES_Enjoyer@reddthat.com 2 months ago
this the one time I’m with the commies
Are you against universal and free healthcare, education and retirement? Are you against improving worker rights, paid holidays, sick leave, guaranteed housing and guaranteed employment? Are you against unionisation of workplaces and collective worker decisions mattering in business? Are you against heavy regulation against climate change and pollution of the environment? Are you against anti-racism, feminism, anti-fascism and the redistribution of wealth from the richest to the poorest? I’m sure you have a lot more common ground with us commies than you think
OmegaLemmy@discuss.online 2 months ago
it’ll be sold to the highest bidder is my bet
I would find it funny that billionaires would pass off the opportunity of taking musk’s position on a discount
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
I’ll settle for whichever one annoys him the most.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This is the thing, NASA is underfunded as it is, if we nationalized SpaceX, we wouldn’t actually continue to fund it appropriately and it would simply die. It would be an awful shame for the space industry and for humanity’s future in space.
I hate musk as much as the next guy, but I think the success of spaceX is undeniable. Their success with reusable rockets is not just impressive, it’s ground breaking and important. Developing a fully reusable rocket is probably the most important challenge humans are working on in this era, and I only know of three companies attempting to do it.
lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
You guys are so stuck in the cult of personality. WE PAID FOR EVERYTHING SPACEX DID. IT BELONGS TO US.
KumaSudosa@feddit.dk 2 months ago
Of course he was always a jerk, but I still think of a reality where Elon never went (officially) Nazi and just stuck with his otherwise important companies. Tesla being an important early mover in EVs, especially in such an oil-dependent country, and all the cool stuff SpaceX has been up to.
fodor@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
That’s true but it doesn’t solve the problem now.
Deflated0ne@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Has anyone considered funding NASA?
They made rockets that didn’t explode with duct tape and a TI-83 calculator.
Uruanna@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Shouldn’t be incompatible with nationalizing SpaceX and Starlink. Just give it all to NASA, actually.
Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 2 months ago
Sure, that’s the ideal.
Is it likely? Ehhhh
roserose56@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
They didn’t, because someone got paid to write this article!
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Where’s the grift tho?
GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Looks like we found someone who believed it was financially necessary for the manufacture of the shuttle to be spread across the country.
rottingleaf@lemmy.world 2 months ago
What “they made” 50 years ago is of little value now. Expertise matters, and it’s lost with time passing.
Still - yes. Nationalization is a bad solution because it gives the state power to nationalize. Seems a truism.
Just let NASA work in its normal role. Instead of replacing that with SpaceX contracts.
wewbull@feddit.uk 2 months ago
If that was actually their expenditure I don’t think they’d have their budget cut.
the_crotch@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Yeah, let’s give the trump administration the power to seize companies it doesn’t like, that is a great idea that def won’t be abused all the time
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
The author probably forgot who runs the nation.
Gluca23@lemmy.world 2 months ago
putin
eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Congress has always had this power. I’m personally for nationalizing telecomm companies.
BugKilla@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Health; education; energy production; food production & distribution; water; housing; mass transit and telecommunications should all be classified as essential services and nationalised. Everything else can be whatever.
FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 2 months ago
The problem would be that nationalising them in this day and age would mean prices would get even worse for everyone, as the government having a monopoly on these things would mean they can charge whatever they want.
barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 2 months ago
We no longer live in a world where our biggest fear would be the government controlling high level corporations and their operators.
We now live in a world controlled by Sociopathic Oligarchs who can afford to create government level technology. Right now it’s mostly tourism rockets and satellites, but now we see Skum weaponizing that technology, and/or using it as a bargaining chip. He has cut off Starlink in a war zone to benefit the county who defers to him, but is openly hostile to the US, and now he’s threatening to cut off our access to the space station. He is using tech that WE PAY FOR with government contracts and grants, to pursue his own diplomacy, for his own benefit, and against our interests.
Eventually, someone will start building and stockpiling actual weapons, perhaps even atomics. Then we will be asking why someone didn’t step in and stop them before they became a bonafide threat.
We paid for Skum’s technology, and he gets to control it as a courtesy. Just the threat of using it against us should be enough reason to declare him a national security threat, confiscate his American-taxpayer financed businesses, and imprison him.
the_crotch@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
We now live in a world controlled by Sociopathic Oligarchs who can afford to create government level technology.
We have lived in that world for most/all of human history
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Eventually, someone will start building and stockpiling actual weapons, perhaps even atomics. Then we will be asking why someone didn’t step in and stop them before they became a bonafide threat.
Bruh this has happened over and over again. Nobody stops them because the most violence empire on the planet is leading the way. AFAIK the USA is the only state to have actually nuked people.
seejur@lemmy.world 2 months ago
We are already fucked. The choices given are siding with Trump, and end up like Russia, or side with Elon, and end up like Cyberpunk 2077
Disaster@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
…or organize, start/join unions, get involved with your local community and build up some real resistance that isn’t based off obscene wealth, lawfare or media brainwashing. Once you have experienced something real, it’s quite hard to understand how or why anyone would fall for the alternative.
mycelium_underground@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Only useless people side with those two.
Stop being useless.
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
We should just fund NASA and let SpaceX and Starlink go bankrupt to competitors.
RoyaltyInTraining@lemmy.world 2 months ago
SpaceX has loads of capable engineers. If NASA gets a massive budget increase, they need to draw from that pool of talent.
MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
SpaceX and Starlink basically have no competition, and if they did, said competitor would also need to be heavily subsidized.
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
These last few years they’ve had very little successes, but the point is it should stay competitive and not be automatically handed to these doofuses. Even the USSR maintained a competitive rocketry sector.
ikidd@lemmy.world 2 months ago
NASA hasn’t take the slightest risk since Challenger. They wouldn’t have accomplished 1/20th of the launch capability SpaceX has developed in the last 5 years.
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Generally NASA doesn’t “develop” rockets per se, they commission rockets to specification.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 months ago
See what we should do…is look to the french for inspiration on guillotine designs. Why would anyone not want to get rid of this asshole? Why would anyone like it?
cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
kambusha@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Man, that was worth the wait!
iamkindasomeone@feddit.org 2 months ago
Reverse accelerating space ship. I like the idea!
BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 2 months ago
They think he’s a tech god because he has money to burn, knows how to make himself look smart, knows how to slave drive, and knows how to cut corners without pissing off the wrong people.
fluxion@lemmy.world 2 months ago
At least, there was a time when that appeared to be the case
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 months ago
knows how to make himself look smart
He said, talking about the guy who did a nazi salute on national television, intentionally, and then turned around and did it again for the people in the back. In case there was anyone who missed it the first time.
psycho_driver@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Lets reach a compromise. Impeach Trump (successfully) and then take away SpaceX from Elon. That way things would be fair.
zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Trump has been impeached successfully. Twice. What I assume you mean is that he hasn’t been removed from office. That could be the consequence of an impeachment, but not necessarily.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I honestly don’t care about Elon, just get Trump out.
AA5B@lemmy.world 2 months ago
For whatever reasons Musk has found himself as ceo of some wildly successful visionary companies. It has not changed that they are finally bringing the future to the present, disrupting old technologies in favor of newer and better, for a better world. And the musk from before his breakdown deserves a lot of credit
umbrella@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
[deleted]Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Nasa with less risk aversion. If a Nasa rocket blows up that’s big news. If a Space X rocket blows up, that’s a Tuesday.
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
yeah but if SpaceX becomes NASA then what
Grizzlyboy@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
I don’t think the majority of Americans understand what that means. They’ll just scream “commies!” And raise their maga flag.
But the idea of a starlink-like business owned by UN would be nice, and not an American corporation owned by a nepobaby Elmo.
AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world 2 months ago
In the USA space-x gets away with a lot. A few years ago they announced they were no longer going to bother with getting all the FAA approvals needed for their rockets because it took too long. Space-x still got government contracts.
Zron@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If your want proof that the wealthy live by a different set of laws, look no further than the time Elon Musk, ceo of SpaceX, went on a podcast and smoked weed.
SpaceX has DOD contracts for launches, and somehow him blatantly violating federal law had no impact on the contracts his company fulfilled for the government.
Do I think weed should be classified like it is? No.
Do I think that everyone should be held to the same standard? Yes. And if anyone else had been involved in government projects while going on podcasts and smoking weed, they’d at the very least be fired.
eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
A few years ago they announced they were no longer going to bother with getting all the FAA approvals needed for their rockets because it took too long. Space-x still got government contracts.
How long back was that? I genuinely didn’t hear about that, but I believe that would happen. I tried googling “space x faa” but I’m getting results of FAA investigating rocket issues and approvals of rocket models.
sugarfoot00@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
You should familiarize yourself with Telsat Canada’s LEO plans. Should be complete in less than 2 years.
FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 2 months ago
Then the UN should start their own starlink-like company. Nothing is stopping them.
Tillman@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Can you imagine who would run those companies if they were government owned?
drmoose@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Has US nationalized anything this millenia? I really don’t see that ever happening
psycho_driver@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Tax burdens for billionaires
EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Airport security was nationalized as the TSA. Aside from that no.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Technically the auto industry in 2008.
blindbunny@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Giving companies to the state doesn’t always work well. However giving companies to the workers does.
OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
We’ve seen China give companies to the state, but have there been any large examples of giving companies to the workers?
postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Arrest Musk on violation of controlled substances acts, file immigration violation charges, invalidate his ownership shares due to securities fraud, as he falsified education and naturalization forms.
Or just emminent domain the shit. The Law is just made up right now.
RhondaSandTits@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
Don’t give bail-outs to billionaires.
hexonxonx@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Starlink should be globalized. A planet only needs one low-altitude orbiting communications network. Better to standardize the technology and platform and let them contribute to one system than to have a dozen identical competing systems crashing into each other and fucking things up for everyone.
gian@lemmy.grys.it 2 months ago
I would suggest that maybe you should leave SpaceX alone, if you want to still have a space program.
Maybe think about to nationalize healthcare insurance, it seems to be something more usefull
Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Oh my god, please. Just to see the temper tantrum from Musk.
Redjard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Starlink should not just be nationalized but internationalized.
It is internet for everyone on earth, not everyone in the USA.Every larger nation deploying their own constellation would be a pointless waste of resources, and every smaller nation having to find reliable partner-nations to tap into for that internet access would inevitably lead to people ending up without access due to political games.
Low orbit satellite constellations are the perfect candidate for sharing, they would literally sit unused over most of their orbits otherwise.
minorkeys@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You have NASA FFS. Just fund it.
QuoVadisHomines@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
If not Musk should be forced from his roles in these companies. You cannot be a defense contractor and do ketamine.
SpicyLizards@reddthat.com 2 months ago
Never gonna happen under republicans… or dems as they are sell outs too.
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’ve been saying this for years. the footprint that spaceX represents in national launch authority is out of whack to say the least.
Darleys_Brew@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
We? No. USA can if it wants that shit.
reksas@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
Just having such wealth and thus power in hands of singular humans is risk to all of humanity. In this instance you are but big enough drug fueled temper tantrum away from pretty important infrastructure coming crashing down.
mechoman444@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The precedent that will set and the implications… No… We should not do this.
Draegur@lemm.ee 2 months ago
seize it via eminent domain.
MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
I disagree.
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You already have a government space agency. Maybe give them more funding so they don’t have to rely on space-x to get their stuff into orbit?
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There’s a national telecom network already in place. It at least has the potential to be faster and more reliable, if it isn’t already… At least compared to low earth orbit satellite coverage.
There’s no good reason to continue providing Elon or his companies with any government handouts. Pull that funding and give it to… I dunno, students who have more debt than homeowners with a mortgage… NASA… Literally anything that helps people?
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seven_phone@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Hang on a minute, equivalents of SpaceX and Starlink could have naturally grown out of NASA, it was the obvious place for them to come from but NASA did not show that innovation and nationalisation of them might dilute their abilities. For clarity I am not suggesting the innovation came from Musk, he has no science or engineering, his talents are grifting, showmanship and taking credit for other people’s work, he is a natural figurehead though and seemed quite clear thinking until he lost his mind.
reivilo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Quite ironic from people constantly accusing their political adversaries to be communists…
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No, they’re fine remaining as private companies. If the government wants to better control over the companies then they can pass regulation and if they want total control then they can build their own alternatives. Nationalization of companies should never be used as a political weapon.
theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yeah I mean the tax payers have literally already paid for all of both SpaceX and Starlink. The public paid for it, the public should own it.
bulwark@lemmy.world 2 months ago
They’re just following in the footsteps of Comcast. The FCC gave SpaceX/Starlink $885.5 million to provide rural broadband after they gave Comcast over $1 billion less than 5 years ago to do the same thing. Starlink actually works out there from what I understand, so I guess that’s something.
Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
The main problem is that starlink is not a viable ISP like Comcast. Relying on low earth orbit is extremely wasteful as you need to constantly launch more and more satellites. Starlink gives their satellites a 5 year lifespan where fiber can go on for 40 years or more. There are 7,500 starlink satellites, so we’re talking a constant replacement of satellites all falling into earth’s atmosphere, not being recycled.
Starlink is literal space trash waiting to happen.
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The FCC revoked that award before it was given because starlink wasn’t meeting the speeds they needed to meet by the deadline 3 years in the future.
JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Works is a strong word. It’s a better choice than dialup or Hughesnet, but that’s damning with extremely faint praise. If you need to rely on it you might be in trouble. There are still gaps in the coverage where you will be dropped for a while.