>> And we 'tried until it didn't blow up immediately' is not a great sign.

But everything that didn't blow up has been tested 11 times already. Things that did fail have had more than one design iteration tested. One approach has gains more real-world test experience.

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bigyabai 5 hours ago | parent [-]

NASA is constrained by the triple-whammy of taxpayer dollars, an administration that hates public science, and a market that rewards private enterprise more than them.

JPL would blow up a rocket every week, if the budget had room for it. Alas, we don't see that testing pace outside defense procurement.

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dash2 5 hours ago | parent [-]

So is Artemis cheaper than Starship then?

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bigyabai 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Are you familiar with the definition of the word "constrained"?

	▲	dash2 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I was referring to the quote “JPL would blow up a rocket every week, if the budget had room for it.” That makes it sound as if JPL can’t afford to follow the SpaceX strategy, hence my question.