It is actually more difficult because superpowers are not willing to spend unlimited money just to get ahead (like during Cold War). You can brute force a lot of technical problems by just using money (for example just one big expensive engine like Apollo 11). Nowadays nobody is willing to spend that kind of money for just one mission.
Comments
ISAR Aerospace to make another launch attempt at 22:06 CET or 21:06 BST of their Spectrum launch vehicle from Andoya in Norway.
Spectrum achieved orbit and appeared nominal prior to the second burn.
Viewable at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss1DUqLjecc
Discussion:
Private German rocket makes history, reaches orbit from European soil
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49580369
rocket science is no longer rocket science !
It is actually more difficult because superpowers are not willing to spend unlimited money just to get ahead (like during Cold War). You can brute force a lot of technical problems by just using money (for example just one big expensive engine like Apollo 11). Nowadays nobody is willing to spend that kind of money for just one mission.