(1) Kenneth Chang, Adding Rocket Man to His Résumé; An Entrepreneur Aims
to Take Over Human Spaceflight From NASA. New York Times, Feb. 16, 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/science/16elon.html?scp=1&sq=musk&st=cse
Quote:
"Instead of turning to subcontractors, SpaceX builds almost everything —
about 80 percent, by value — at its California factory. “They essentially
have created their own low-cost avionics and rocket companies,” said
Douglas O. Stanley, an aerospace research engineer at the Georgia Institute
of Technology who has made several visits to the SpaceX factory.
"Dr. Stanley estimates that SpaceX was able to develop its Merlin engine,
which provides propulsion for the first stages of the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9
rockets, at one-fourth to one-third the cost that a traditional engine
manufacturer would have required. Mr. Musk points out that SpaceX already
manufactures more rocket engines than all other companies in the United
States combined, and SpaceX may surpass Russia’s output this year.
(2) Electric cars | A Netscape moment? Investors get out their chequebooks
for electric-car start-ups. Economist, Feb. 4, 2010.
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15464481&CFID=108960944&CFTOKEN=57766584