SpaceflightMemes

Starship is a test program right now. SpaceX are not in a rush to sign on customers. They are operating the most prolific and heaviest launch system right now. They can handle the avionics and understand the launch trajectory better than anyone. Why waste time making test masses to throw in the ocean? There's no benefit to doing that with these prototype vehicles. When they are satisfied with recovery testing and go orbital, they'll launch a load of Starlink sats and no-one is going to care that they launched a banana first.

For that matter, Blue Origin are launching a tiny space tug on the first launch of their giant rocket. They don't need to demonstrate the maximum take-off weight of the vehicle. Demonstrating that they understand and can fly the thing all the way to orbit is fine. That will bring customers, which Blue really wants - they don't want a drawn out development campaign like Starship is having.

I'm not calling you a hater, I just don't see how launching a banana could be evidence of some fatal flaw with Starship when it's only flying sub-orbital test missions right now. Some people seem to think SpaceX is doing all this work just to perpetrate an elaborate scam to fleece American taxpayers. There's surely much easier scams than doing actual rocket science.