MEANWHILE, IN A PART OF AMERICA THAT STILL WORKS: Astounding Science (Non-)Fiction: Space X Rocket Over San Diego (Breath-Taking Photos).
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FIRST THE FAA STARTS MESSING WITH THEM, NOW THIS: DoJ Investigating Space X for Not Hiring a Foreign National. “It is unclear exactly why the IER is investigating a pattern or practice of discrimination when Space X is required to discriminate against broad categories of non-citizens for ITAR compliance reasons.”
SPACE X: Parachute Issues Will Further Delay First Commercial Crew Missions.
Recent parachute test issues SpaceX’s Dragon program — as well as, in some media reports, Boeing’s Starliner — will likely delay the launch of the first commercial crew missions to the International Space Station, an analyst for Forecast International Inc. said.
“In broad stokes, these anomalies will delay both programs,” said Forecast’s Carter Palmer in an e-mail interview. “Boeing, for example, is putting further tests on hold until the issue is identified. SpaceX may have to redesign the parachute in the future.”
Of the two reported failed tests, it is SpaceX’s that received the most media attention — including testimony by NASA’s Bill Gerstenmaier at a May 8 hearing concerning NASA’s deep space and lunar exploration plans. The SpaceX test (which included a test sled instead of a test capsule) simulated a failed main parachute, which was using only three of the included four parachutes; however, the company did complete five similar tests before this failure.
Boeing has also experienced recent parachute test issues, said Gerstenmaier — head of NASA’s human spaceflight program — in an interview with Spaceflight Now.
If this stuff were easy, everyone would be doing it.
SPACE X AIMING FOR A February 6 launch date for the Falcon Heavy.
THE NEW SPACE RACE: Lunar Outpost selects Starship to deliver rover to the moon.
SOME PARTS OF AMERICA STILL WORK — AT A BREAKNECK PACE: SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites from Florida, its 7th liftoff in a week.
BEST NEWS OF THE DAY: SpaceX just got exactly what it wanted from the FAA for Texas Starship launches.
In a draft version of what is known as an “Environmental Assessment,” the FAA indicated that it will grant SpaceX permission to increase the number of Starship launches in South Texas to 25 per year from the current limit of five. Additionally, the company will likely be allowed to continue increasing the size and power of the Super Heavy booster stage and Starship upper stage.
“FAA has concluded that the modification of SpaceX’s existing vehicle operator license for Starship/Super Heavy operations conforms to the prior environmental documentation, consistent with the data contained in the 2022 PEA, that there are no significant environmental changes, and all pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met or will be met in the current action,” the federal agency stated in its conclusion.
Then again, 25 launches for SpaceX is just getting started.
THE NEW SPACE RACE: India plans to build a moon-orbiting space station by 2040.
IF THEY’D JUST GET BACK TO MAKING CARS THAT DELIVER “SPACE, PACE AND GRACE,” THAT WOULD BE GREAT:
ADMIN POST.
The new head of brand strategy at Jaguar.
Explains everything.
RIP Jaguar. pic.twitter.com/nNHA6bexPC
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) November 20, 2024
The genderfluid DEI people got control of another brand via the marketing department and the rest seems inevitable.
WE HAVE LIFTOFF: Massive SpaceX rocket takes flight as Trump watches alongside Elon Musk.
SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket launched for its latest test flight at 5 p.m. ET, where the company didn’t catch its Super Heavy booster after takeoff.
Today’s mission marks SpaceX’s fastest turnaround yet, with new upgrades to the booster’s propulsion systems aiming for a smoother and faster catch using the launchpad’s “Mechazilla” claws.
President-elect Donald Trump attended the event with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the company’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
Tom Lehrer, call your office!
THE IMPORTANT WORK GOES ON: Freedom wins again: SpaceX completes the 6th orbital test flight of Starship/Superheavy.
SHUT THEM DOWN, THEY’RE PRE-EMPTED: The California Coastal Commission’s ruling to limit SpaceX launches threatens national defense.
SPACE: SpaceX launches sixth Starship but aborts booster landing. The booster, though, did successfully put the Starship upper stage, known as Ship 31, onto a suborbital trajectory. During its time in space, SpaceX briefly reignited one of the vehicle’s Raptor engines, a test of that capability needed for deorbit burns on later missions.”
SPACEX PRESIDENT PREDICTS RAPID INCREASE IN STARSHIP LAUNCH RATE: “It’s going to be hard to catch us, but I certainly hope people try.”
THE NEW SPACE RACE: Shotwell predicts Starship to be most valuable part of SpaceX. “I would not be surprised if we fly 400 Starship launches in the next four years.”
SPACEX ISN’T SCREWING AROUND WITH TOMORROW’S STARSHIP TEST FLIGHT:
Starship’s upper stage will fly the same suborbital trajectory as the previous flight test, with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean.
An additional objective for this flight will be attempting an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine, further demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn prior to orbital missions.
Several thermal protection experiments & operational changes will test the limits of Starship’s capabilities & generate flight data to inform plans for ship catch and reuse.
The flight test will assess new secondary thermal protection materials &will have entire sections of heat shield tiles removed on either side of the ship in locations being studied for catch-enabling hardware on future vehicles.
The ship also will intentionally fly at a higher angle of attack in the final phase of descent, purposefully stressing the limits of flap control to gain data on future landing profiles.
Plus: “Depending on how well Flight 6 goes & the launch site survives the launch & catch attempt, there may be a slightly longer period of time between flight 6 & flight 7. This is also due to the move to a completely new V2 Starship design.”
Traditional space launch’s destructor has not yet taken its final form.
THE NEW SPACE RACE: Shotwell predicts Starship to be most valuable part of SpaceX.
“The company is incredibly valuable, I think, right now because of Starlink,” she said. “Starlink will add a zero, probably, at least as we continue to grow the Starlink system.”
That growth comes in many different markets, from residential broadband services to maritime and aviation connectivity. SpaceX will begin offering direct-to-device services “within the next month or so,” she said, with an initial version for “very light data” and text messaging.
However, she argued that Starship will be even more valuable to SpaceX in the long run. “Ultimately, I think Starship will be the thing that takes us over the top as one of the most valuable companies. We can’t even envision what Starship is going to do to humanity and humans’ lives, and I think that will be the most valuable part of SpaceX.”
That is based on the belief, she said, that the fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity to low Earth orbit that could exceed 100 metric tons, will “change everything” about spaceflight, and not just with lower launch costs. “Starship is so big that the concept of how we put things in space, how people will travel in space, is totally different.”
The rest of the world has had since 2017 to match SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on reusability and price — and failed. SpaceX is working very hard to make Falcon 9 obsolete with Starship, even before any other company or country catches up to where SpaceX was almost eight years ago.
WELL, RUSSIANS ARE ALL ABOUT SAFETY: U.S., Russian officials disagree over International Space Station leak severity.
THE NEW SPACE RACE: Blue Origin stacks huge New Glenn rocket ahead of 1st launch.
CAN’T STOP THE SIGNAL: Firefly Aerospace rakes in more cash as competitors struggle for footing.
SOME PARTS OF AMERICA STILL WORK: SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites in back end of coast-to-coast double launch.