Stephen Smith 🇺🇦
I am a long-time advocate of space exploration, settlement and commerce. Migrated from @WordsmithFL on Twitter.
Joined Nov 2022
#SpaceCoast Not to promote Zombie Twitter, but someone got great drone video of a landed #SpaceX Falcon 9 on the drone ship as it's about to enter Port Canaveral.
#NASA A friend captured this up-close video today at Port Canaveral of the #SpaceX recovery team practicing with a mockup crew Dragon.
https://www.facebook.com/100089116924792/videos/828253868745892
#SpaceX isn't the only game in town at #CCSFS. #BlueOrigin, very slowly, is building up its launch infrastructure at the Cape.
From NASASpaceflight.com:
From #CNBC .. If #SpaceX has a "near monopoly," it's because the other launch companies failed to compete.
#ULA -- a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed Martin -- was granted a legal monopoly in 2005 by the Bush administration. SpaceX sued and lost.
SpaceX had to innovate so their cost would be so ridiculously low that they could break the ULA monopoly.
Don't blame SpaceX. Blame ULA, #BlueOrigin, and others who won't compete.
This gets back to my impression that Elon was afraid #Starlink being used for an attack on Russian targets would make #SpaceX a legitimate target for Russian retaliation.
Russia has been trying to figure out ways to jam or disable the Starlink network.
Should Elon risk his company's multi-billion dollar primary asset to help an American ally defend itself? Personally, I don't think there's an easy answer to that. He views Starlink as funding his Mars goals.
Whatever else you might think of Elon Musk, the "he got rich off an emerald mine" myth is once again debunked.
https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-telling-truth-emerald-mine-isaacson/
A #NYTimes review of the new Elon Musk book by Walter Isaacson.
"Walter Isaacson’s biography of the billionaire entrepreneur depicts a mercurial “man-child” with grandiose ambitions and an ego to match."
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/09/books/review/elon-musk-walter-isaacson.html
#Space For those on the #SpaceCoast, we have another #SpaceX #Starlink launch scheduled for tonight at 11:12 PM EDT. In case you're wondering who's waking you up. It's landing at sea.
No webcast as Elon has mandated SpaceX launches now livestream only on his Twitter zombie.
#Space The #FAA lowered the boom on #SpaceX for the #Starship launch failure at Boca Chica, Texas.
"The final report cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence."
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-closes-spacex-starship-mishap-investigation
Last night's #SpaceX #Starlink launch from #CCSFS. It's indexed to T-1 minute; if that doesn't work, go to 5:45 on the timeline.
https://www.youtube.com/live/iFY7mtzsNKo?si=SwOXkDhGnPzu0au_&t=345
#SpaceX now targeting 10:21 PM EDT. I'm going 😴 ...
The #SpaceX #Starlink launch from #CCSFS as seen from north Merritt Island.
https://www.facebook.com/wordsmithfl/videos/829769001927033/
Last night's #NASA #SpaceX Crew-7 launch from KSC, indexed to T-1 minute. (If the link doesn't take you there, go to 1:01:22 on the timeline.)
https://www.youtube.com/live/5KeIAYTW8eQ?si=Pu6Zd9081U4hrX5r&t=3682
From #FloridaToday:
Just before 11 p.m. Thursday, the countdown clock at #KSC paused, and #NASA confirmed the called-off attempt shortly after. #SpaceX later posted to social media that the "new launch date provides teams additional time to complete and discuss analysis."
#Space #SpaceCoast #NASA #SpaceX
Crew Dragon launch tonight from #KSC at 3:50 AM EDT. The Falcon 9 will attempt to land at the Cape about eight minutes later.
More on the SpaceX web site:
Breaking ... First #Boeing #Starliner crewed test flight, originally scheduled for 2017, now planned for no earlier than March 2024. The first #SpaceX crewed Dragon flight was May 2020.
Stephen Smith 🇺🇦
I am a long-time advocate of space exploration, settlement and commerce. Migrated from @WordsmithFL on Twitter.
Joined Nov 2022