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Carl Quintanilla, Jim Cramer and David Faber kicked off wall-to-wall coverage of SpaceX's public debut day. Elon Musk's company was valued at nearly $1.8 trillion after pricing its record-setting IPO at $135 per share. The anchors explored what's at stake for the markets and investors. You'll hear Musk's speech to SpaceX employees at the company's headquarters in Starbase, Texas. Also in the mix: Cramer's message on SpaceX's opening trade, a live report from the trading floor of Morgan Stanley — one of the lead underwriters of the SpaceX IPO, a flashback to the first trading days for companies including Tesla, Facebook (now Meta) and Alibaba. Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This Day in Legal History: Wallace Stands in the Schoolhouse DoorOn this day in 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace physically stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to block the registration of Vivian Malone and James Hood, the two Black students whose enrollment had been ordered by a federal district court. Wallace's “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” was the culmination of a long campaign of state defiance of federal desegregation orders that ran from Brown v. Board in 1954 through Cooper v. Aaron in 1958 — the case in which a unanimous Supreme Court told the Little Rock school district, and by extension every state actor, that federal constitutional rulings are the supreme law of the land and that state officials may not nullify them.President Kennedy responded to Wallace's stand by issuing Executive Order 11111, which federalized the Alabama National Guard, and ordering Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach down to Tuscaloosa to confront the governor. Wallace gave a long speech invoking states' rights and Tenth Amendment sovereignty, then stepped aside, and Malone and Hood walked in and registered. That night, Kennedy went on national television and delivered the civil rights address that put the Civil Rights Act of 1964 onto the national agenda. The legal and political throughline matters: the schoolhouse door, the executive order federalizing the Guard, the televised address, and the omnibus civil rights legislation that followed were a single coordinated federal response to massive resistance, and the institutional habit they built — the willingness of the federal political branches to back federal court orders with whatever force is necessary — is the substrate on which the modern enforcement of civil rights law sits. Whether that habit holds up under contemporary pressure is one of the live constitutional questions of our moment.The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” saga we have been following all week reached at least a partial resolution on Wednesday when Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia declined to extend her temporary restraining order against the program into a preliminary injunction. The reason, in essence, is that the Justice Department has now formally represented to the court, in writing and through acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, that the $1.8 billion fund is “not going forward.” Brinkema took DOJ at its word for present purposes and dissolved the TRO, which under standard mootness doctrine is the right call when a defendant credibly commits to abandoning the challenged program. But she also did something practical: she warned the government in plain terms not to “play possum with this court,” language that gives the plaintiffs a built-in mechanism to come back fast if the fund quietly re-emerges under a different name.The substantive theory the plaintiffs were pressing — that the fund is an unappropriated expenditure of public money, that the underlying Trump-IRS settlement was a litigation in which the United States was never really adverse to the President in his personal capacity, and that the program's payout criteria are based on political characterizations of past prosecutions rather than any neutral standard — is now preserved for another day rather than litigated to judgment. The practical lesson is the durability of voluntary-cessation doctrine: a government defendant who is willing to abandon a program in court usually wins on mootness, but the cost is real, because future revivals get scrutinized against the prior representation. Watch the Federal Register and the DOJ component-level budget submissions for the next six months — if there is a successor program coming, those are where the first signal appears.Judge declines to halt “anti-weaponization fund” since Blanche says it's dead, but warns DOJ not to “play possum” | CBS NewsA coalition of environmental and tribal-nation plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday seeking to block a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-approved land exchange that would transfer 715 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, in return for 683 acres of privately owned land elsewhere. The plaintiffs are the Center for Biological Diversity, Save RGV, the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, and the South Texas Environmental Justice Network.The legal theory of the case is unusually multi-statute: the complaint alleges violations of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act, with the central administrative-law argument being that the Fish and Wildlife Service's environmental analysis failed to grapple seriously with impacts on endangered ocelots, aplomado falcons, and a long list of migratory species whose habitat the refuge was designed to protect when Congress created it in 1979. The plaintiffs describe this as one of the largest national-wildlife-refuge land exchanges outside Alaska, and the suit asks for vacatur of the exchange decision rather than damages — the standard APA remedy.The political and infrastructural backdrop is hard to miss: SpaceX's Starbase facility at Boca Chica has been expanding into the Lower Rio Grande Valley for years now, and the exchange would consolidate the company's footprint on land previously held for the protection of one of the last remaining ocelot ranges in the country. The merits of the case will turn on the rigor of the FWS environmental analysis. Expect a request for a preliminary injunction within weeks.Lawsuit challenges Trump administration's land swap with SpaceX in Texas | The Washington PostA Los Angeles County jury on Wednesday added $22 million in punitive damages to the $176 million compensatory verdict already entered against socialite and former philanthropist Rebecca Grossman and former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Erickson, bringing the total civil award to the Iskander family to roughly $198 million.The underlying facts of the case are stark: in September 2020, Grossman and Erickson left a Westlake Village restaurant after drinking and street-raced separate Mercedes SUVs through a residential neighborhood, with Grossman striking and killing two young brothers, Mark and Jacob Iskander, then 11 and 8, as they crossed a marked crosswalk with their parents.Grossman was convicted of two counts of murder in 2024 and is serving 15 years to life. The civil case the family brought is the wrongful-death companion, and the punitive damages award the jury added on Wednesday is the part that does the most policy work: the jury split the punitive award $21 million against Grossman, $1.17 million against Erickson, which under California's reprehensibility-and-net-worth framework reflects both the much greater direct culpability of Grossman as the driver and the substantial disparity in their respective financial positions.The case is notable beyond the parties involved because of how clean it is on the standard punitive-damages analysis the Supreme Court laid out in BMW v. Gore and State Farm v. Campbell: high reprehensibility, a relatively modest single-digit ratio of punitive-to-compensatory damages, and an underlying compensatory award that itself was supported by the gravity of the loss. Watch for an appeal that focuses on the compensatory rather than the punitive number — that is where the appellate leverage actually is.Jury Ups Philanthropist, Ex-Pitcher Crash Verdict To $198M | Law360 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
Iran hits U.S. bases in Jordan and the Gulf after American retaliation for a downed Apache helicopter. Tehran says its World Cup ticket allocation has been pulled. SpaceX's Starbase divides a Texas community. The USDA ramps up the production of sterile male flies, in a bid to wipe out screwworm. Anti-immigrant riots erupt in Belfast. And Bad Bunny gets a private audience with the Pope. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. Asian stocks fell alongside US equity-index futures as the AI-fueled rally that powered global equities to record highs lost momentum after a weak forecast from Broadcom. Asian losses followed a pullback on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 snapped a nine-day winning streak as renewed US-Iran clashes damped risk appetite. Some relief emerged early Thursday after the US announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, helping Brent crude halt a three-day rally. For more on the markets, we speak to Paul Dobson, Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Asia Markets. Plus - SpaceX is seeking to raise $75 billion in an initial public offering that would be the biggest of all time, as Elon Musk's rocket, satellite and artificial intelligence company targets a historic debut that could clear a path for more mega-listings. The Starbase, Texas-based company plans to market about 555.6 million shares for $135 each, according to its filing Wednesday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. At that price, SpaceX would have a market value of almost $1.77 trillion based on the outstanding shares in the filing. Bloomberg TV hosts Haidi Stroud-Watts and Shery Ahn spoke to Sylvia Jablonski, CIO at Defiance ETF's.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Some of the richest companies on Earth want your money. OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX are racing to raise as much of it as possible by going public. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. SpaceX's Starship 39 rocket launching from Starbase during the 12th test flight. Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
CALLBACKS AND COMEBACKS. TV critic Diana Keng reviewed Star Trek: Lower Decks through its first four seasons and jumps back in to reviewing season five right here on this week's Trek Marry Kill. The two episodes being judged embody some classic TV tropes: the backdoor pilot episode and the new young character inserted late in a show's run to show how far our characters have come. But are these TREKs, MARRYs, or KILLs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode: S05E112 — Tuesday, 26 May 2026 Hosts: Anna & Avery Network: Bitesz.com Podcast Network Website: astronomydaily.io | Social: @AstroDailyPod Story Summaries 1. NASA Unveils Ambitious Moon Base Plan As this episode was recorded, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was preparing to announce a landmark plan for a permanent human outpost at the lunar south pole by 2036. The programme carries a price tag of approximately $30 billion across a seven-year foundational phase, relies on nuclear power systems, leverages lunar water ice for fuel and life support, and effectively retires the Gateway orbital station concept. Commercial partners will supply rovers and habitat modules. Phase one targets around two dozen lunar launches, including Artemis IV, by 2028. Full details will be covered in tomorrow's episode. 2. Starship V3 Flight 12 — Engine Drama, Historic Debut SpaceX launched the first Starship V3 rocket on Friday, 22 May 2026, from brand-new Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. Ship 39 reached space and completed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean despite losing one of its six vacuum Raptor engines during ascent. The flight computer compensated by extending burns on the remaining five. The Super Heavy booster was lost in the Gulf of Mexico after a failed boostback burn. The FAA has opened a review. SpaceX declared most pre-planned test objectives met. 3. JWST Maps First Daily Weather Cycle on a Distant World Published in Science on 21 May 2026. Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Arizona State Universities used Webb's NIRISS instrument to observe WASP-94Ab — a hot Jupiter 690 light-years away — and detected the first daily cloud cycle ever recorded on another planet. Thick magnesium silicate clouds form each morning, then completely clear by evening. The finding also corrected a decade of skewed atmospheric composition data. 4. NASA's Fermi Telescope Solves 20-Year Supernova Mystery An international team led by Fabio Acero used NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to confirm the first definitive gamma-ray detection from a superluminous supernova — SN 2017egm. The data confirms a newly formed magnetar as the power source behind these extraordinarily bright explosions. Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2026. 5. Most Rocky Exoplanets May Lack Earth-Like Metallic Cores A new paper submitted to the Astrophysical Journal challenges the long-held assumption that dense metallic cores are standard features of rocky planets. Researchers argue that most rocky exoplanets may have formed without Earth-style metallic cores — meaning no global magnetic field, with significant implications for atmospheric retention and habitability. 6. The Soviet Rover That Went Silent — and Came Back Lunokhod 1 was the world's first remote-controlled rover on another world (1970). After traversing 10.5 km of Mare Imbrium, contact was lost in 1971. For nearly 40 years its exact position was unknown — until NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter identified it in 2010. The APOLLO project then fired laser pulses and received ~2,000 photons back from its French-built retroreflector — four times stronger than expected. It remains an active contributor to lunar science today. Sources & Further Reading • NASA Moon Base announcement: nasa.gov/2026-news-releases • Starship Flight 12 updates: space.com • WASP-94Ab paper: Science, 21 May 2026 — DOI via Johns Hopkins Hub • Fermi supernova paper: Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2026 — DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202558547 • Exoplanet cores paper: submitted to Astrophysical Journal, May 2026Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
Natürlich geht es heute um die SpaceX-S1-IPO-Filings, aber vorher sprechen wir über die Google I/O (Universal Cart, Gemini Spark, Gemini 3.5 Flash und viele mehr). Wir vergleichen Umsatz und Verlust (Gewinn) von OpenAI und Anthropic. Andrej Karpathy wechselt zu Anthropic, Cursor erreicht $3 Mrd. Annual Sales Rate. Starlink ist die SpaceXs Cashcow ($11 Mrd. Umsatz, $4,4 Mrd. Profit) und subventioniert die mit 12,5% wachsende KI-Sparte. OpenAI kündigt am Tag des S1-Filings überraschend frühen IPO an. Binance launcht SpaceX Pre-IPO Perpetuals. Bezos hat sich diese Woche auch zu Wort gemeldet. Zudem sprechen wir über Forum-AI-Studie: Falsche News-Antworten von KI, Google holt Contextual-AI-Team für $100 Mio, Airbnb erweitert auf Hotels und Mietwagen. Earnings von Nvidia und Workday. SAP, Mistral und unser Digitalminister Wildberger lässt offenbar Texte/Reden von schreiben. Unterstütze unseren Podcast und entdecke die Angebote unserer Werbepartner auf doppelgaenger.io/werbung. Vielen Dank! Philipp Glöckler und Philipp Klöckner sprechen heute über: (00:04:00) Google I/O Recap (00:25:44) OpenAI Q1 Earnings: $5,7 Mrd. (00:34:33) Anthropic Q1 & profitable im Juni (00:41:21) Karpathy zu Anthropic (00:42:40) Cursor bei $3 Mrd. Runrate (00:44:39) SpaceX S1 Filing Deep Dive (01:19:30) SpaceX kauft Cybertrucks für $140 Mio. (01:24:30) OpenAI IPO-Filing kommt früher (01:28:29) SpaceX Pre-IPO Perpetuals (01:32:37) Arbeiter stirbt in Starbase (01:33:28) Bezos: Space-Datacenter & Steuer-Debatte (01:38:34) Forum AI: GROK unzuverlässig bei News (01:41:19) Google holt Contextual-AI-Team für $100 Mio. (01:41:51) Airbnb: Hotels, Mietwagen, Everything-Travel (01:43:39) Nvidia Earnings +85% (01:46:51) Workday Earnings +14% (01:47:22) Zuckerberg-Audio: Mitarbeiter-Spionage (01:47:44) Enhanced Games (Steroid-Olympics) (01:52:21) Reuters: GROK 3 von 400 US-Behörden-Fällen (01:53:12) WaPo: DOGE-Datenzugriffe geheim (01:54:04) Trump schützt sich vor IRS (01:54:46) Cohere übernimmt Reliant AI Shownotes Google I/O 2026: Größte AI-Ankündigungen - theverge.com OpenAI behält $1 Mrd. Umsatz-Vorsprung vor Anthropic in Q1 - theinformation.com OpenAI Action-Figur-Werbung auf Instagram - instagram.com Anthropic wird erstmals profitabel - wsj.com Andrej Karpathy wechselt zu Anthropic - bloomberg.com Cursor erreicht $3 Mrd. Annual Sales Rate - bloomberg.com SpaceX-IPO: Founders Fund vor $60 Mrd. Return - theinformation.com OpenAI IPO-Filing kommt früh - wsj.com OpenAI klaut SpaceX die Show mit IPO-Ankündigung - marketwatch.com Binance launcht Pre-IPO Perpetuals für SpaceX - prnewswire.com SpaceX: Arbeiter stirbt in Starbase - futurism.com Bezos / Blue Origin: Data Center im All - cnbc.com WOLF Financial Tweet (bitte manuell prüfen) - xcancel.com Studie: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok bei News unzuverlässig - bloomberg.com Google: $100 Mio. Acqui-License von Bezos' Contextual AI - bloomberg.com Airbnb fügt Hotels und Mietwagen hinzu - cnbc.com Nvidia-Earnings: +85% durch AI Boom - theguardian.com Workday Q1 Earnings: Aktie +14% - cnbc.com LayoffAI Tweet - xcancel.com Steroid Olympics - ft.com Christian Angermayer und die Enhanced Games - theguardian.com Grok fällt in Washington durch: Nur 3 von 400 Behörden-Fällen - reuters.com Behörden verweigern Auskunft über DOGE-Datenzugriffe - washingtonpost.com Trump schützt eigene Steuererklärungen vor IRS-Prüfung - spiegel.de Cohere übernimmt deutsches KI-Startup Reliant AI - manager-magazin.de Reliant-AI-Gründer Karl-Moritz Hermann verkündet Cohere-Deal - linkedin.com Schreibt ChatGPT die Reden des Digitalministers? - de.linkedin.com
LIVE: SpaceX Starship Launch & UFO NewsStarship Flight 12 (IFT-12) is the maiden flight of Starship Version 3 (Block 3), using Booster 19 (B19) and Ship 39 (S39). It marks the first launch from Starbase's new Orbital Launch Pad 2 (Pad B) and debuts major redesigns for full rapid reusability.The flight is a suborbital test (transatmospheric trajectory), with the booster splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico and the ship in the Indian Ocean. Launch targeted for May 21, 2026, around 5:30–7:00 PM CDT (window shifted to ~6:00 PM CT).Key Highlights and Special FeaturesFirst V3 Vehicles: Significant upgrades to Starship, Super Heavy, and Raptor 3 engines (clean-sheet propulsion changes, increased tank volume, new startup methods, larger grid fins on booster). These incorporate lessons from prior flights for higher performance, reliability, and eventual 100+ ton payloads to orbit.New Launch Pad (Pad 2): First use of the redesigned pad with upgraded propellant farms (more capacity and faster pumps) and improved tower chopsticks (electromechanical actuators for speed/reliability).Heavy Payload Demo: Deploys 22 Starlink simulators (~44 tonnes total mass, a record for Starship tests). Includes 20 standard simulators + 2 specially modified ones to scan Starship's heat shield during flight and transmit imagery (testing future tile inspection for return-to-launch-site missions). Some tiles were painted white to simulate damage.In-Space and Reentry Tests:Single Raptor engine relight in space.Controlled reentry with banking maneuver (simulating future Starbase return trajectory).Intentional stress test on rear flaps.One heat shield tile was intentionally removed to measure the effects on adjacent tiles.Booster Objectives: Full launch, ascent, hot-staging separation, boostback burn, and landing burn — but no tower catch attempt (conservative water landing as it's the first V3 flight).Raptor 3 Power: 33 engines on the booster delivering massive thrust (over 9,000 metric tons), with improved reliability shown in static fires.This flight focuses on proving the redesigned architecture in real conditions rather than attempting catches or full orbits yet. It's a big iterative step toward operational reusability, orbital refueling, and missions like Artemis or Mars.AttributionSpielberg on The Late Show via UAP James@UAPJames on Xhttps://x.com/UAPJames/status/2057061621818683797?s=20Avi Loeb on Neil DeGrasse Tyson via Red Panda Koala @RedPandaKoala on Xhttps://x.com/RedPandaKoala/status/2056986929795871046?s=20Starship Flight 12 Launch via SpaceX Broadcasthttps://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-12Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tempest-universe--4712510/support.Please follow the #podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTempestUniversePodcast?sub_confirmation=1
LIVE: SpaceX Starship Launch & UFO News Starship Flight 12 (IFT-12) is the maiden flight of Starship Version 3 (Block 3), using Booster 19 (B19) and Ship 39 (S39). It marks the first launch from Starbase's new Orbital Launch Pad 2 (Pad B) and debuts major redesigns for full rapid reusability. The flight is a suborbital test (transatmospheric trajectory), with the booster splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico and the ship in the Indian Ocean. Launch targeted for May 21, 2026, around 5:30–7:00 PM CDT (window shifted to ~6:00 PM CT).Key Highlights and Special Features First V3 Vehicles: Significant upgrades to Starship, Super Heavy, and Raptor 3 engines (clean-sheet propulsion changes, increased tank volume, new startup methods, larger grid fins on booster). These incorporate lessons from prior flights for higher performance, reliability, and eventual 100+ ton payloads to orbit. New Launch Pad (Pad 2): First use of the redesigned pad with upgraded propellant farms (more capacity and faster pumps) and improved tower chopsticks (electromechanical actuators for speed/reliability). Heavy Payload Demo: Deploys 22 Starlink simulators (~44 tonnes total mass, a record for Starship tests). Includes 20 standard simulators + 2 specially modified ones to scan Starship's heat shield during flight and transmit imagery (testing future tile inspection for return-to-launch-site missions). Some tiles were painted white to simulate damage.In-Space and Reentry Tests: Single Raptor engine relight in space.Controlled reentry with banking maneuver (simulating future Starbase return trajectory).Intentional stress test on rear flaps. One heat shield tile was intentionally removed to measure the effects on adjacent tiles. Booster Objectives: Full launch, ascent, hot-staging separation, boostback burn, and landing burn — but no tower catch attempt (conservative water landing as it's the first V3 flight).Raptor 3 Power: 33 engines on the booster delivering massive thrust (over 9,000 metric tons), with improved reliability shown in static fires. This flight focuses on proving the redesigned architecture in real conditions rather than attempting catches or full orbits yet. It's a big iterative step toward operational reusability, orbital refueling, and missions like Artemis or Mars. Attribution Spielberg on The Late Show via UAP James@UAPJames on X https://x.com/UAPJames/status/2057061621818683797?s=20 Avi Loeb on Neil DeGrasse Tyson via Red Panda Koala @RedPandaKoala on X https://x.com/RedPandaKoala/status/2056986929795871046?s=20 Starship Flight 12 Launch via SpaceX Broadcast https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-12 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tempest-universe--4712510/support. Please follow the #podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTempestUniversePodcast?sub_confirmation=1
Sponsor Link:To check out our great NordVPN money saving deal - Click HereAstronomy Daily • S05E107 • Wednesday 21 May 2026 Starship V3 is on the pad and counting down for Thursday's debut launch — we bring you the full update including technical objectives, the Artemis stakes, and a sober note about a worker fatality at Starbase. Plus: a NIST proposal to build GPS for the Moon using lasers inside permanently frozen polar craters; space station startup Vast enters the satellite market; JWST finally has an explanation for the universe's impossibly large early black holes; the Roman Space Telescope locks in a September 2026 launch; and interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS gives up two remarkable new secrets — alien water thirty times richer in heavy hydrogen than anything in our solar system, and pre-discovery images that show it was spotted before anyone knew it was there. Stories This Episode • STORY 1 — Starship V3 Flight 12: Launch window opens Thursday 21 May at 6:30 PM EDT (8:30 AM AEST Friday 22 May). Splashdown of upper stage in Indian Ocean off Western Australia ~65 min after liftoff. First flight of Starship V3, first use of Starbase Pad 2. Key objectives: Raptor 3 engines, heat shield imaging by modified Starlink sats, 22 dummy Starlink deployments, Raptor relight in space. Worker fatality at Starbase 15 May under OSHA investigation. • STORY 2 — Lunar GPS via NIST: Proposal to place ultrastable silicon optical cavity lasers in permanently shadowed craters near lunar south pole (~16K, near-perfect vacuum). Could enable lunar GPS network, atomic timekeeping on Moon, precise satellite ranging, gravitational wave detection. • STORY 3 — Vast Corporation: Space station builder announces new line of high-power satellites, expanding beyond Haven-1 into commercial satellite manufacturing. Announced 19 May 2026. • STORY 4 — JWST Black Holes: New arXiv paper proposes 'episodic super-Eddington accretion' in gas-rich dark matter-dominated early galaxies explains overmassive black holes found by JWST. Identifies them as 'missing link' between heavy seeds and luminous quasars. • STORY 5 — Roman Space Telescope: Launch now confirmed as early as September 2026 — 8 months ahead of schedule, under budget. 100x Hubble's field of view, 1,000x survey speed. Targets dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets. Coronagraph for direct exoplanet imaging. • STORY 6 — 3I/ATLAS: Pre-discovery images found in Rubin Observatory data from 21 June–2 July 2025, over a week before official ATLAS discovery. Water deuterium ratio at least 30x higher than any solar system comet (ALMA/U of Michigan/Nature Astronomy). Comet estimated ~12 billion years old. Key Links • SpaceX Starship Flight 12 livestream: spacex.com • Flight 12 timeline (Space.com): space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/what-time-is-spacex-starship-v3-launch-starship-flight-12-timeline • Starbase worker death (Space.com): space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/worker-dies-at-spacexs-starbase-in-leadup-to-starship-v3-megarocket-launch • Lunar laser GPS (NIST): nist.gov/news-events/news/2026/05/shooting-moon-ultrastable-lasers-dark-craters-could-enable-lunar-navigation • Vast satellite announcement: space.com (19 May 2026) • Roman Space Telescope launch update: nasa.gov • 3I/ATLAS pre-discovery images: space.com/astronomy/comets • 3I/ATLAS water chemistry (ALMA): almaobservatory.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
Sponsor Link:To grab our special money saving NordVPN deal - Click HereIn today's episode, Anna and Avery cover a blue whale-sized asteroid making a close pass of Earth today, the imminent debut of SpaceX's most powerful rocket yet, NASA's Psyche spacecraft successfully completing its Mars gravity assist, fresh science arriving at the ISS, a new physics paper challenging the simulation hypothesis at its foundations, and Congress pushing back hard against proposed cuts to NASA's science budget. Story 1 — Asteroid 2026 JH2 Newly discovered asteroid 2026 JH2 (first spotted 10 May 2026) makes a close Earth flyby today at ~90,000 km — within the orbital radius of many satellites. Estimated size: up to ~35 metres (blue whale-sized). Zero impact risk confirmed. Observable with binoculars at peak magnitude ~11.5. Live stream available via the Virtual Telescope Project. Orbital period: 3.7 years between Earth and Jupiter. Story 2 — Starship V3 / Flight 12 SpaceX targets May 19, 2026 for the debut of Starship Version 3 (Flight 12) from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. Launch window opens 6:30 PM EDT. Key upgrades: Raptor 3 engines (250 tf SL thrust, up from 230 tf), three larger grid fins, new integrated hot-stage design, updated propellant systems. No tower catch on this flight; booster splashes in Gulf of Mexico. Upper stage (Ship 39) targets Indian Ocean after 65 minutes. Payload: 22 Starlink simulator satellites. Critical step toward Artemis lunar landings. Story 3 — NASA Psyche Mars Flyby On 15 May 2026 at 3:28 PM EDT, Psyche completed its Mars gravity assist at 4,500 km altitude travelling at 12,333 mph. Passed inside the orbits of both Martian moons. Confirmed by Doppler shift monitoring. Mission: en route to metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche (arrival July 2029). Thousands of Mars observations gathered for science calibration. Story 4 — SpaceX CRS-34 SpaceX's 34th Dragon cargo mission docked at ISS at 6:37 AM EDT on 17 May 2026, delivering ~6,500 lb of cargo for Expedition 74. Science payloads include: microgravity simulator validation study, wood-based bone scaffold (osteoporosis research), red blood cell/spleen spaceflight study. Dragon will return to Earth mid-June splashing down off California coast. Story 5 — Simulation Hypothesis Paper Paper: ‘Non-algorithmic physics and the limits of the simulation hypothesis', published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics. Authors: Mir Faizal (UBC Okanagan), Lawrence Krauss, Arshid Shabir, Francesco Marino. Core argument: using Gödel's incompleteness theorems, the team argues any theory of quantum gravity would be non-algorithmic — containing truths no computation can capture. Since any simulation requires algorithms, reality cannot be fully simulated. Note: this is a theoretical paper, not an experimental result. The authors acknowledge no complete quantum gravity theory currently exists. Story 6 — NASA FY2027 Budget House Appropriations Committee approved $24.438 billion for NASA in FY2027 — matching FY2026 and rejecting the White House's proposed $18.8 billion (a 23% cut). The proposal would have cut the Science Mission Directorate by 46%, terminating 50+ missions. Committee protects science, Habitable Worlds Observatory, and STEM education funding. Bill still needs Senate passage and reconciliation. Skywatching TONIGHT — Moon-Venus conjunction: look west after sunset for the crescent Moon close to brilliant Venus. Earthshine visible on dark lunar limb. Southern Hemisphere: look west-northwest, best in first hour after sunset. Blue Moon on 31 May (second full Moon of the month). Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
Sponsor Link:To get the deatils of our money saving NordVPN deal - Click HereIt's the Astronomy Daily Weekend Space and Astronomy News Wrap — your Saturday deep dive into the biggest stories from across the week, plus two brand-new headlines and a bonus story we just couldn't leave out. This week on Astronomy Daily: • NASA's Psyche spacecraft executed its Mars gravity assist flyby yesterday — slingshotting past the Red Planet at 12,000 mph on its way to a $10 quadrillion metal-rich asteroid • SpaceX launched the record-breaking CRS-34 Dragon mission to the ISS Friday night — with docking happening TODAY (Sunday May 17) • James Webb Space Telescope maps the cosmic web in unprecedented detail — 164,000 galaxies, 13.7 billion years of history • Hubble reveals 'Dracula's Chivito' — the largest, most chaotic planet nursery ever seen, 1,000 light-years from Earth • Starship Version 3 is on the pad — debut launch targeting Tuesday May 19 from the new Launch Pad 2 at Starbase • Comet R3 PanSTARRS is in Southern Hemisphere skies NOW — and tonight is New Moon. Your last chance for 170,000 years • WEEKEND BONUS: NASA's Curiosity rover drilled into a rock on Mars — and the rock wouldn't let go Find us at astronomydaily.io | Follow @AstroDailyPod | Part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network YouTube Show Notes Title: Mars Slingshot! Cosmic Web Mapped! Starship V3 Launch SOON! Weekend Space News Wrap | Today's Space News In this weekend edition of Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover seven stories — two fresh headlines, four of the biggest stories from the past week, and a bonus story that's pure gold. It's been one of the best weeks in space in 2026. CHAPTERS: 1. 00:00 — Cold Open & Weekend Wrap Introduction 2. 01:30 — FRESH: NASA Psyche Spacecraft's Mars Gravity Assist 3. 04:00 — FRESH: SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon Launch to the ISS 4. 06:00 — WEEKLY WRAP: JWST Maps the Cosmic Web 5. 08:30 — WEEKLY WRAP: Hubble's 'Dracula's Chivito' Planet Nursery 6. 11:00 — WEEKLY WRAP: Starship V3 — Launch This Tuesday! 7. 13:00 — WEEKLY WRAP: Comet R3 PanSTARRS — Skywatching Now 8. 15:00 — WEEKEND BONUS: Curiosity Rover's Sticky Rock 9. 16:30 — Outro & Credits Subscribe for daily space and astronomy news | astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod | Bitesz.com Podcast NetworkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
Sponsor Link:To get our secial NordVPN offer and save a heap of money, Click HereIn this milestone episode — one away from our 100th — Anna and Avery cover six extraordinary stories: the Pentagon's unprecedented release of 162 declassified UFO/UAP files; SpaceX firing all 33 Raptor V3 engines on the Super Heavy booster ahead of Starship Flight 12; tomorrow's CRS-34 cargo launch to the ISS; JWST's breathtaking new portrait of cosmic buckyballs inside a dying star; never-before-seen mineral maps of the Moon's far side created from Artemis 2 mission photographs; and the American Meteor Society's growing alarm over an unexplained spike in large fireball events across the globe. Stories Covered 1. Pentagon Releases 162 Declassified UAP Files (May 8, 2026) • The Pentagon launched a public portal at war.gov/UFO on Friday 8 May, releasing 162 declassified files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. • Files include 120 PDF documents, 28 videos, and 14 images — spanning sightings from the 1940s to 2025. • The PURSUE program (Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters) will release additional files on a rolling basis every few weeks. • The files show no evidence of extraterrestrial contact or government cover-up; they are classified as 'unresolved cases.' • Notable items include footage of a football-shaped UAP near Japan, a white orb over Syria, and Apollo 17 lunar imagery showing unexplained lights. 2. SpaceX Starship V3 Super Heavy — Full 33-Engine Static Fire (May 7, 2026) • SpaceX completed the first successful full-duration, full-thrust static fire of the Super Heavy V3 booster at Starbase, Texas, on 7 May. • All 33 Raptor V3 engines fired simultaneously — the most powerful ground test of any rocket first stage in history. • Previous tests on 15 April ended early due to ground equipment issues; the 7 May test went the full duration. • The Starship V3 Ship upper stage also completed its static fire in April — both vehicle halves now cleared for flight. • SpaceX is targeting 15 May for Starship Flight 12, a suborbital test mission. Starship is central to NASA's Artemis lunar landing system. 3. SpaceX CRS-34 — ISS Resupply Launch (12 May 2026) • Launch: 7:16 PM EDT, Tuesday 12 May from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. • Cargo: approximately 6,500 pounds, including scientific experiments, food, equipment, and crew supplies. • Autonomous docking scheduled: ~9:50 AM EDT, Thursday 14 May, at Harmony module's forward port. • Key payloads: Laplace (planet formation dust study), STORIE (space weather / ring current monitoring), wooden bone scaffold (osteoporosis research), and red blood cell / spleen change investigation. • Watch live on NASA+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and NASA's website from 7:00 PM EDT on 12 May. 4. JWST Reveals the Birthplace of Cosmic Buckyballs — Planetary Nebula Tc 1 • Western University astronomers returned to planetary nebula Tc 1 (10,000+ light-years away, constellation Ara) using JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). • First detected buckyballs (buckminsterfullerene / C60 molecules) in space here in 2010 using Spitzer; now JWST reveals the full structure for the first time. • Buckyballs are concentrated in a thin spherical shell around the central white dwarf — arranged like 'one giant buckyball.' • JWST imagery also reveals an unexplained upside-down question mark feature at the nebula's heart. • Current theoretical models don't fully explain the buckyballs' observed infrared emissions — multiple new papers are in preparation. • Buckyballs found in meteorites on Earth; understanding their space origins provides clues about organic chemistry and possibly life's building blocks. 5. Artemis 2 — Far-Side Moon Images (Published May 2026) • Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy collaborated pre-mission with Commander Reid Wiseman to plan detailed lunar photography during the Artemis 2 flyby. • McCarthy's image-stacking technique — applied to Wiseman's far-side photographs taken during the 6 April lunar flyby — has produced unprecedented colour mineral maps of the far side. • Colours reveal mineral composition variations (browns, blues, reds) not visible to the naked eye — described as 'cyborg vision' for the Moon. • NASA has released the full Artemis 2 photo archive: 12,217 images now publicly available. • Full archive: NASA astronaut photography public archive (link in episode resources). 6. The 2026 Fireball Surge — AMS Analysis (Published May 2026) • The American Meteor Society reports an anomalous spike in large fireball events in Q1 2026 that 'warrants serious investigation.' • Total Q1 event count (2,046) is only marginally above historical norms; the anomaly is in the SIZE of events — the largest fireballs are happening at roughly double the historical rate. • March 2026: 40+ major events, including a 3,229-witness fireball over Europe (8 Mar), an Ohio sonic boom explosion (17 Mar), and a meteorite through a Houston roof (21 Mar). • 79% of Q1's high-witness fireball events produced confirmed sonic booms — a strong physical indicator of large, dense incoming objects. • Anthelion sporadic source (opposite the Sun) is producing roughly double its normal activity; activity concentrated in a single 1,000-square-degree patch. • Ruling out explanations: not a new shower, not seasonal variation alone, not reporting bias. • AMS calling for expanded automated all-sky camera networks and better cross-referencing with radar, infrasound, and satellite data.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
SpaceX bereitet alles für den Start von Starship V3 vor, schickt ein legendäres Drohnenschiff in Rente und Elon Musk sichert sich endgültig die totale Kontrolle über sein Imperium!
Starbase. Prospera. California Forever. Mars. From private cities to interstellar colonies, tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have backed experiments designed to operate beyond the borders — and laws — most of us live by. So we wondered: has this happened before? In this episode, we visit an Arctic archipelago, homesteads floating in the ocean, and a startup city in Honduras to explore where places built with the ultra-rich in mind leave all the rest of us.Guests:Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, author of The Cosmopolites and The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the WorldWayne Gramlich, retired computer engineerDan Girma, producer on NPR's Embedded podcastJacob Silverman, author of Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon ValleyTo access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
SpaceX just hit the brakes. Flight 12, the first launch of the Starship V3, is officially pushed to May. While Elon claims it is a 4 to 6 week tweak, there is more going on with the V3 hardware than just a schedule shift. We are breaking down the specific bottlenecks holding up the most powerful rocket ever built.The Raptor 3 Risk: The new shroudless engines are supposed to be more efficient, but rumors of cooling issues during static fires are heating up.The Stretch Problem: V3 is significantly taller than its predecessors. We look at whether the structural welds can actually handle the increased propellant mass.Heat Shield 3.0: After the near-misses of Flight 11, did SpaceX finally solve the tile-loss issue, or is that what is causing the May delay?The $2 Trillion Pressure: With the SpaceX IPO rumors swirling, a failure on the maiden V3 flight is not an option. Is this a technical delay or a strategic one?The transition from V2 to V3 is the biggest hardware jump in Starship history. If they do not get this right in May, the entire moon manifest slides. Listen to find out what is actually happening at Starbase.
Der Erstflug der deutschen Spectrum-Rakete von Isar Aerospace bricht bei T-3 Sekunden ab – ein absoluter Nervenkrimi auf dem Andøya Spaceport. Außerdem schauen wir auf die radikale Mondwende der NASA: Das Artemis-Programm setzt jetzt auf "Surface First" für die permanente Mondbasis, während das Lunar Gateway recycelt und als atomgetriebenes Raumschiff "SR-1 Freedom" mit NEP-Antrieb zum Mars geschickt wird! Dazu bläst SpaceX zum Angriff: Elon Musk plant mit der 25-Milliarden-Dollar "Terafab"-Fabrik fliegende KI-Rechenzentren im Starlink-Orbit. Parallel laufen in der Starbase die Vorbereitungen für Starship Flight 12 auf Hochtouren – inklusive FTS-Sprengladungen und Deluge-Tests am Super Heavy Booster. Wir werfen zudem einen Blick auf die LYOBA-Kickstage vom Schweizer Schwerlast-Startup PAVE Space, die epische Weltraum-Rettung des ESA-Satelliten Proba-3, gigantische Jupiter-Blitze der Juno-Sonde und das manuelle ISS-Andockmanöver der russischen Progress MS-33. Und das absolute Highlight: Der Countdown für Artemis II und die gigantische SLS-Rakete läuft – die erste astronautische Mission zum Mond seit über 50 Jahren steht auf der Startrampe!
8. Starbase and the Era of the Starship In Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX built Starbase, a massive rocket factory and launch site, from modest beginnings in a swamp. The focus here is on Starship and the Super Heavy booster, a fully reusable system more powerful than the Saturn V. Innovative "chopstick" arms on the launch tower are designed to catch returning boosters to eliminate landing legs and speed up relaunching. The ultimate vision involves a fleet of starships refueling in low Earth orbit before departing for Mars every two years, establishing a permanent human presence on the Red Planet. (8)1897 WAR OF THE WORLDS
Preview for later. Bob Zimmerman explains why the town of Starbase, Texas, may cancel its upcoming elections. With no challengers appearing for the incumbent SpaceX-affiliated officials, Texas law allows for the cancellation of uncontested races. (12)1938
Philip Johnston, founder and CEO of Starcloud, explains why space will become the primary location for AI compute infrastructure within the next decade. After witnessing SpaceX's massive manufacturing scale at Starbase, Philip realized that declining launch costs would make space-based data centers cheaper than terrestrial ones. He breaks down the physics of heat dissipation in vacuum, the economics of solar power without atmosphere, and why the marginal cost of space infrastructure decreases while Earth-based costs increase. Philip previews a future where close to a trillion dollars per year in CapEx flows to space compute. And, yes, we get his take on aliens. Hosted by: Sonya Huang and Pat Grady, Sequoia Capital.
In this episode, Chris Cochrane dives into Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo – the cheapest Mac laptop ever made – and whether it spells trouble for Chromebook makers. He also covers Samsung’s CEO blaming AI for rising phone prices, Framework raising RAM prices for the third time in three months, Meta unveiling four custom AI chips, NVIDIA’s GTC 2026 conference preview, a billion-dollar bet against large language models, Microsoft’s game-changing Project Helix Xbox with native Steam support, Windows 11’s new Xbox Mode, and SpaceX gearing up for a critical Starship Flight 12 test. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Apple MacBook Neo The lead story covers Apple’s MacBook Neo. It launched at $599 and marks the cheapest Mac laptop ever made. The device runs on the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. Cochrane notes a solid market for students, casual users, and anyone who needs a reliable home laptop. However, he advises photographers and videographers to invest in a MacBook Air or Pro instead. The real question remains whether this kills Chromebook sales in education. Samsung CEO Blames AI for Price Hikes Cochrane tackles Samsung’s Galaxy S26 price increases. CEO TM Roh blamed AI infrastructure demand for the hikes. Meanwhile, DDR4 DRAM prices surged sevenfold in a single year. Cochrane points out the irony. Samsung manufactures memory chips, shifted production toward AI data centers, and now cites that same shortage to justify higher consumer prices. He calls the situation “a little shady” but appreciates the transparency. Framework RAM Prices Up Again The RAM crisis extends beyond phones. Framework raised RAM prices for the third consecutive time in three months. Cochrane reinforces advice from a recent episode. He urges listeners to buy now before prices climb further. Analysts project peak prices by mid-2026. The shortage could last through late 2027. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting $6.99/month, WordPress hosting $12.99/month, domains $11.99. Website builder trial available. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy to support the show. Meta Unveils Four Custom AI Chips Cochrane reports on Meta’s four new MTIA chip generations. The company aims to reduce its dependence on NVIDIA by building custom silicon. The MTIA 300 is already in production. New generations will ship every six months through 2027. The chips are built on open-source RISC-V architecture and manufactured by TSMC. NVIDIA GTC 2026 Preview NVIDIA’s GTC conference starts Monday in San Jose. Jensen Huang promises “chips the world has never seen.” Rumored architectures include Rubin Ultra and Feynman. The keynote streams free at nvidia.com on Monday at 11am Pacific. Cochrane notes that while companies like Meta are building chips to escape NVIDIA, competition will eventually catch up. Yann LeCun’s AMI Labs Raises $1.03 Billion Former Meta AI chief Yann LeCun raised $1.03 billion for AMI Labs at a $3.5 billion valuation. It marks the largest European seed round in history for a company just four months old. LeCun is building “world models” that learn from physical reality rather than text. Backers include Jeff Bezos, NVIDIA, and Samsung. Cochrane notes both approaches to AI can coexist. Microsoft Project Helix Microsoft revealed Project Helix at GDC 2026. For the first time, an Xbox will natively support Steam and GOG. Cochrane sees it as both desperate and inevitable. The only reason to buy from the Xbox store would be exclusives. He notes this is a breath of fresh air after months of talk that the Xbox era was ending. Dev kits ship in 2027 with a consumer launch likely late 2027 or 2028. Windows 11 Xbox Mode Microsoft is rolling out Xbox Mode to all Windows 11 PCs in April. The full-screen controller-optimized interface works with Steam, Epic, and Battle.net. Cochrane sees it as the first half of Microsoft’s two-phase gaming strategy. Xbox Mode trains users now. Project Helix delivers dedicated hardware later. He asks whether Sony and Nintendo will follow in Xbox’s footsteps. SpaceX Starship Flight 12 SpaceX announced stacking complete for the next Super Heavy booster at Starbase. Flight 12 targets April and debuts V3 hardware with Raptor 3 engines. Orbital refueling remains the critical unknown for NASA’s Artemis III moon landing. SpaceX has a track record of delivering eventually, just never on Elon’s original timeline. The post Is the MacBook Neo a Chromebook Killer? #1860 appeared first on Geek News Central.
SpaceX is currently preparing for the highly anticipated Flight 12 mission, which will feature the debut of the Starship Version 3 hardware. CEO Elon Musk has projected a launch date for early April 2026, marking a slight delay from earlier estimates as the company finalizes testing on the new Booster 19 and Ship 39 vehicles. Significant infrastructure milestones are also underway at the Starbase facility in Texas, including the commissioning of a second orbital launch pad designed to support these upgraded rockets. Beyond technical development, SpaceX is reportedly exploring a Nasdaq stock market listing with a valuation that could reach $1.75 trillion. Meanwhile, other Musk-led ventures like The Boring Company and xAI continue to hit growth benchmarks, such as completing record-breaking tunnels in Las Vegas and expanding massive AI supercomputing clusters. Together, these sources highlight a period of intensive scaling and transition across Musk's various aerospace and technology enterprises.
Welcome to Episode 60 of Astronomy Daily Season Five! In today's episode, Anna and Avery cover six major stories from the world of space and astronomy — including a neutron star collision in an unprecedented location, the latest Artemis II news, and a cosmic mystery solved after decades. Stories covered in this episode: 1. NASA Discovers Neutron Star Crash in Unexpected Location A fleet of NASA telescopes — including Chandra, Fermi, Swift, and Hubble — has detected a neutron star merger inside a tiny galaxy buried in a vast stream of gas, 4.7 billion light-years away. It's the first time this type of collision has been spotted in such an environment, and it may explain why gamma-ray bursts sometimes appear outside any galaxy — and how precious metals like gold and platinum ended up in distant stellar regions. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2. Artemis II Flight Readiness Review NASA will host a Flight Readiness Review press conference on Thursday 12 March at Kennedy Space Center, covering progress toward the first crewed Artemis mission. The rocket is currently back in the Vehicle Assembly Building following a helium issue, with rollout to the launchpad expected around 19 March and a launch target of no earlier than 1 April 2026. 3. Firefly Alpha 'Stairway to Seven' Scrubbed Again Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket — attempting its return to flight after a 10-month grounding — has been scrubbed three times in 10 days. The latest scrub occurred on 10 March during fluid loading after off-nominal readings. A new launch date will be confirmed following engineering review. This mission is the final Block I Alpha flight, with the upgraded Block II debuting on Flight 8. 4. DART Mission Reveals 'Cosmic Snowball Fight' Between Asteroids Researchers at the University of Maryland have found the first direct visual proof of material transfer between two asteroids — fan-shaped streaks on the surface of asteroid moon Dimorphos, left by debris thrown off its parent asteroid Didymos at just 30.7 cm/s. The discovery provides visual confirmation of the YORP effect and has implications for planetary defence modelling. ESA's Hera mission arrives at Didymos in December 2026. Published in The Planetary Science Journal. 5. Starship Flight 12 — About Four Weeks Away SpaceX is approximately four weeks from the launch of Starship Flight 12, which will be the first flight of the upgraded V3 configuration — the most powerful version of the already record-breaking vehicle. Engineers have completed propellant system tests on Ship 39 at Starbase, Texas, and preflight preparations are continuing. 6. Giant Cosmic Sheet Discovered Around the Milky Way Astronomers from the University of Groningen, publishing in Nature Astronomy, have used advanced computer simulations to discover that the matter surrounding our Local Group is arranged in a vast, flat sheet — dominated by dark matter — stretching tens of millions of light-years across. This structure, flanked by enormous empty voids, explains why nearby galaxies are moving away from us rather than being pulled inward. It's the first detailed map of dark matter distribution in our cosmic neighbourhood. Astronomy Daily is part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. Website: astronomydaily.io | Social: @AstroDailyPod on all major platformsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
the expansive growth of Elon Musk's business empire in Texas, specifically focusing on the development of SpaceX's Starbase and the Boring Company's presence in Bastrop. The reports detail the official incorporation of Starbase as a city, a move intended to foster a dedicated community for employees while sparking debate over local autonomy and corporate influence. Significant attention is given to environmental concerns and legal challenges raised by activists regarding the impact of rocket launches on protected wildlife habitats and public beach access. Furthermore, the texts examine the financial side of these ventures, including multimillion-dollar tax breaks sought by SpaceX for its manufacturing facilities and the opening of Ad Astra, a specialized private school. Critics and supporters alike weigh in on the economic benefits versus the social costs of these modern company towns, drawing parallels to historical industrial utopias. Together, the sources provide a multifaceted view of how tech-driven expansion is reshaping the legal, educational, and ecological landscape of the Lone Star State.
C'est une ville pas tout à fait comme les autres. Depuis mai 2025, Starbase est officiellement devenue une municipalité du Texas, nichée dans le comté de Cameron. Derrière ce nom aux accents de science-fiction se trouve en réalité le cœur opérationnel de SpaceX, près de Boca Chica. Pour Elon Musk, ce nouveau statut doit permettre d'accompagner la montée en puissance de ses activités, notamment autour de la mégafusée Starship. L'ambition affichée : transformer la zone en « lieu de classe mondiale ».Pour l'instant, Starbase compte un peu plus de 580 habitants, essentiellement des employés de SpaceX et leurs familles. Mais avec l'accélération des essais et des développements de Starship, cette fusée géante destinée à des missions lunaires et martiennes, la population est appelée à croître rapidement. Dans cette perspective, la jeune municipalité veut désormais se doter de ses propres institutions. Elle prévoit la création d'un tribunal municipal, avec un juge à temps partiel, un procureur et un greffier. Aux États-Unis, ce type de juridiction traite surtout les infractions mineures : amendes, petits litiges, contraventions. En attendant la nomination d'un magistrat pour un mandat de deux ans, le maire assurerait lui-même la fonction de juge.Starbase ne s'arrête pas là. Elle dispose déjà d'une brigade de pompiers volontaires, gère ses permis de construire et supervise les inspections liées aux normes de sécurité incendie. La municipalité a également entamé des démarches pour créer sa propre unité de police. Les autorités locales mettent en avant « le mélange unique de technologies de pointe et de charme côtier », mais aussi la hausse des revenus médians et des prix immobiliers, qui justifieraient un renforcement des services publics, notamment en matière de sécurité. La mise en place complète de ces dispositifs pourrait prendre environ six mois. En attendant, la ville continue de s'appuyer sur les infrastructures du comté, notamment la prison locale.En parallèle, Starbase souhaite agrandir son territoire. Une procédure d'annexion de 7 100 acres — soit près de 2 900 hectares — est en cours près de Boca Chica. Ce mécanisme, courant aux États-Unis, permet d'intégrer officiellement de nouvelles parcelles dans les limites municipales. Mais une partie des terres visées appartient à une réserve naturelle abritant oiseaux, papillons et ocelots. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - SpaceX will be hiring another 4,000 workers this year at its Starbase rocket launching facility at Boca Chica, says the executive director of South Texas Manufacturers Association.Mike Willis gave an overview of the manufacturing scene in the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas in his monthly report for February. After running through a number of plant closures over the past two years he ended on a very positive note.“There's a lot going on. I think we're going to see a lot of announcements in the next year or so, up and down the Valley. So I am really pretty optimistic we'll see a lot more manufacturing job growth here than we've seen in a long time,” Willis said.With regard to SpaceX, Willis stays in close contact with the company's local leadership.“On the good news front, SpaceX… and this may not be good news if you're a current manufacturer who's trying to hold on your workforce and find more people to hire… but SpaceX has confirmed that they're going to hire 4,000 more people in 2026 for Starbase. According to Wikipedia, SpaceX had 13,000 workers as of September 2023. The company, whose proper name is Space Exploration Technologies, Corp., had an operating income of $8 billion in 2025.Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., told the RGG Business Journal that he too has heard that SpaceX is hiring an additional 4,000 workers this year.“Four thousand new workers? Yes, that had been in the offing. During our conversations, they're expanding. Plus the movement or transfer of their headquarters, meaning additional employees. So the growth continues. We're very, very excited about it, obviously,” Treviño said.“It means we've got a lot of work to do. From an infrastructure standpoint. we need TxDOT to get cracking on Highway 4 sooner rather than later. There were too many people already on it. We've got to get that done. But these are good problems to have. These are great problems they have.”Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal for more border business stories. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.
SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 12, the maiden flight of Block 3 vehicles. Booster 19 and Ship 39 will fly with Raptor 3 engines for the first time, generating 19 to 22 percent more thrust than Block 2. The launch window opens in late February or March 2026 from Pad 2 at Starbase. SpaceX will not attempt a booster catch on this flight. Ship 39 will attempt a controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean. The orbital refueling demonstration planned for June 2026 depends on Flight 12 succeeding, and NASA's Artemis program has no backup plan. We talk about Starship Flight 12 Technical Report, SpaceX production timeline and testing milestones, FCC communications window filing and NASA Artemis program dependencies.The Starship system is a fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. The system is composed of a booster stage named Super Heavy and a second stage, also called "Starship" and is being built at Starbase, Texas.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared his team's long-awaited new plans to outpace U.S. adversaries by rapidly advancing the military's arsenal of AI, drones, hypersonics and other disruptive technologies — and drastically reshaping the Pentagon's approaches for safely deploying them. Speaking onstage at SpaceX's Starbase launch site in Texas, during a tour hosted by its billionaire CEO Elon Musk, Hegseth said: “In short, when it comes to our current threat environment, we are playing a dangerous game with potentially fatal consequences. We need innovation to come from anywhere and evolve with speed and purpose.” Hegseth's speech and three accompanying memorandums released Monday reveal the Trump administration's latest, fast-moving and multifaceted vision to overhaul the Defense Department's technology enterprise and dismantle perpetual barriers that have historically slowed the military's commercial capability adoption. Hegseth said that old era ends today, and that the department is done running what he called a peacetime science fair while our potential adversaries are running a wartime arms race. The revamped structure notably aims to anchor a “unified innovation ecosystem built around six execution organizations” that will now collectively operate under the purview of DOD Chief Technology Officer and Undersecretary for Research and Engineering Emil Michael. Those newer and more legacy entities include: the Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO); Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); Defense Innovation Unit (DIU); Office of Strategic Capital (OSC); Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO); and Test Resource Management Center (TRMC). Senate and House appropriators are eyeing White House work on IT, artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure — and a continued presence for DOGE — as part of their fiscal year 2026 bill to fund Financial Services and General Government. On the executive branch funding released Sunday for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, lawmakers agreed on $124.3 million for salaries and expenses in the White House's Office of Administration, with up to $12.8 million used for IT modernization. No more than $10 million of that IT pie should be spent for security and continuity of operations improvements. The Information Technology Oversight and Reform (ITOR) bucket, which historically has supported the Office of the Federal CIO and the now-defunct U.S. Digital Service, would receive $8 million under the new budget. House Appropriations Republicans said in their press release that that money would be used to fund the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which has replaced USDS as the U.S. DOGE Service. That $8 million figure is a fraction of the Trump administration's initial ask. In its June 2025 budget proposal, the White House requested $45 million in funding for DOGE, the Elon Musk-created group that led the decimation of the federal workforce in the early days of the Trump administration under the auspices of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse of agencies, but ended up raising government spending. The White House also sought $19 million for the ITOR account. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
On this episode of The AIE Podcast… We will see you at Nerdtacular Renegades is giving a galaxy far far away vibe SWTOR celebrates with 4 crazy nights the STO Starbase is expanding And, we have our first show of 2026! All that and more coming up right now… Podcast Audio Raw Video http://youtu.be/RNmHGBUf5gU Open Welcome to episode 441 of the podcast celebrating you, the Alea Iacta Est gaming community, the die has been podcast. This is Mkallah: To my left is Tetsemi – (catch phrase here). And to my right is Mewkow: (catch phrase here). Happy 2026, folks! The first week and a half has felt like a year and we are all getting back into the swing of things. Ok, we'll be digging into what we've all been up to shortly, but first, let's cover this week's news… AIE News Community Nerdtacular 2026 has been announced- the event that we affectionately refer to as the Nerd Family Reunion is back for the first time since 2017. Lots of information on Frogpants.com, including tickets and hotel details. The event is scheduled for June 11-13 and will be held at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek in Salt Lake City. All three of us have tickets and have been chatting about how we can record a live show. Mandatory Fun Nights Where the fun is mandatory but the attendance is not. Sunday – Destiny 2 8:30 pm Eastern Monday – GW2 9:30 pm Eastern Monday – STO 10:00 pm Eastern Tuesday – SWTOR 9:00 pm Eastern Wednesday – HFO Mythic+ Mayhem (WoW) 8:00 pm Eastern Friday – ESO 9:00 pm Eastern Saturday – LotRO 8:30 pm Eastern Saturday – FFXIV (Maps) 9:30 pm Eastern Saturday – Noob Raid (WoW) 11:00 pm Eastern Streaming and Guild Podcast News We have a ton of AIE member podcasts! Want to know where to find them? Look no further than here- New Overlords Podcast (Max and Sema) https://www.newoverlords.com Boards and Swords (Chris and Philip) https://boardsandswords.com/blog?category=Boards%20%26%20Swords Dr. Gameology ( Dr. Daniel Kaufmann ) https://drgameology.com/ STO – Fleet Action Report (Grebog and Nikodas) https://www.youtube.com/@fleetactionreport A Podcast Reborn: A FFXIV Community Podcast (Brandon aka Old Man Franks, Meagan, and Rho) – NSFL https://www.bonusroll.gg/directory/a-podcast-reborn/ NOMADS Destiny 2 The new expansion Renegades is chugging along- it is a very”Star Wars themed” expansion. We get lightsabers! It’s got a very cool Darth Revan/Kylo Ren feel to the new bad guy. We get to be kinda like bounty hunters and work for the criminal syndicates doing contract jobs as part of the core activity for the expansion. Earning reputation with each syndicate gains new abilities to use during the contract runs. Not much going on Guild wise. Things are pretty slow overall in Destiny 2, the community is waiting on the new Roadmap to see where things are going. Rumors and hopes are high that a Destiny 3 gets announced. If you are in Destiny 2 and Just_Wargus online feel free to reach out for a hand with anything. ARK – got a pretty dedicated group in there right now WoW Resting up for prepatch of Midnight. Housing is going well. Remix winding down. Noob Raid started up again after its holiday break. A new addon, XFaction for cross guild communication is working well. The last days of Legion Remix are upon us. We are in the final 7 days, so get those last minute runs done now. There is still transmog gear to grind, pets, mounts, and exclusive legion remix only housing items to grab before they are gone. If you ever wanted those legion artifact appearances, this is it. SWTOR In SWTOR, we closed out 2025 with our Winter Nights celebration which was 4 evenings of guild activities including a tour of World Bosses where we took a piece of armor off after each successive fight, stronghold tours, dressing up in our Life Day finest, a clothing drive on the starter planets, a parade of Life Day mounts, and a cracking good trivia night. Great way to spend the last gaming week of 2025. On to 2026! Next week is Total Galactic War! Again! This time we are ready for it. Mostly. We will be maximizing conquest points this week by doing group activities, crafting, and class stories. GSF and pvp are also good ways to rack up the points, if you are so inclined. Keep an eye on discord for any last minute group stuff that may pop up. ESO Nothing new really. It's been quiet due to the holidays. FFXIV Just had a new patch and things are going well. New MSQ, Savage raid tier is open and the world first race is already over. New trial with a train, new Unreal trial with everyone's favorite lady to hate and feel sorry for, Tsukuyomi’s Pain. The cosmic crafter and gatherer area has new updates, and crafters have pink heart themed items to make new. Hildebrand has more story, and the Air Force One GATE has a new place to fly around and pew pew.. The Strategy Board is live, and everyone is clearly using it for helpful raid explanations and mechanics demonstrations. Totally. Free login campaign has started. Up to 96 hours from when you start it. Ends February 9th. STO KDF fleet has made some big strides with the fleet holdings. The Starbase will complete the Tier IV shipyard in just about a week. Which means after that we can start tossing resources in for a tier IV Starbase. Also the Research lab is closing in on Tier III. What all this means is more fleet ships will be accessible. And once the research lab hits Tier III, the purchasable trait slots will be available. Fleet Action Report has been doing playthroughs of the missions showcasing accolades and recruit special tasks, while letting you know what rewards could be handy for your ships or on ground. We will be completing the final mission of the Iconian War arc this week. Which you can catch us live recording the episode Thursday 10pm eastern. Fun nights are Monday 10pm eastern. If you want to group up and run any STO content, looking for help with something, or just want to hang out, come join us. LOTRO Not much is happening. In general players are leveling, working on the epic quest, and enhancing their legendary items. If anyone is looking for help leveling or enhancing their legendary items please reach out to Maelllung and they'd be happy to help! And with that, let's get back to what we have been doing in and out of game! GAME NEWS HOST CHAT Question of the show- what was the geekiest gift you received for the holidays? CLOSE And that's our show for tonight. While the chatroom begins suggesting show titles, we want to thank everyone for joining us. If you have a question or comment about our show, you can email us at podcast@aie-guild.org You can find us on the AIE Discord and BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/aiepodcast.bsky.social. We record live with video once a month on Sunday at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific. You can join the chatroom and play along with us on our website at https://aie-guild.org/podcast-live-stream/ and look for the link to our discord server at https://aie-guild.org. And for past episodes, you can see them on our Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAIEPodcast ! Our theme was composed by the amazing Andrew Allen, follow him at @keyswithsoul! And now it's time to play all of the great AIE member segments we received this week, including… We will see you all in February. So until then, AIE… – This is Mkallah – This is Mewkow – This is Tetsemi And this has been… The AIE Podcast.
STARBASE AND THE MECHAZILLA CATCH Colleague Eric Berger. The final segment centers on Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, where SpaceX built a modern rocket factory on swampland to construct the massive Starship. Berger details the "Chopstick" system, a tower designed to catch returning Super Heavy boosters to eliminate landing legs and enable rapid reuse. This fully reusable system, larger than the Saturn V, is the "endgame" for Musk's vision. Berger describes the operational concept: fleets of Starships refueling in orbit via tankers, then departing for Mars in waves every two years to establish a permanent human presence. NUMBER 81920 THE WARLORD OF MARS
SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 12, the maiden flight of Block 3 vehicles. Booster 19 and Ship 39 will fly with Raptor 3 engines for the first time, generating 19 to 22 percent more thrust than Block 2. The launch window opens in late February or March 2026 from Pad 2 at Starbase. SpaceX will not attempt a booster catch on this flight. Ship 39 will attempt a controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean. The orbital refueling demonstration planned for June 2026 depends on Flight 12 succeeding, and NASA's Artemis program has no backup plan. We talk about Starship Flight 12 Technical Report, SpaceX production timeline and testing milestones, FCC communications window filing and NASA Artemis program dependencies.The Starship system is a fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. The system is composed of a booster stage named Super Heavy and a second stage, also called "Starship" and is being built at Starbase, Texas.00:00:00 - SpaceX Starship Flight 12 update00:01:48 - Raptor 3 Engine00:02:38 - Ship 39 Design00:03:20 - COPV Failure Investigation00:04:45 - Starbase Pad 200:05:36 - Flight Profile00:07:05 - Testing Timeline00:07:57 - NASA Artemis Impact00:08:33 - 2026 Roadmap00:09:15 - What's next for flight 12?
SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 12, the maiden flight of Block 3 vehicles. Booster 19 and Ship 39 will fly with Raptor 3 engines for the first time, generating 19 to 22 percent more thrust than Block 2. The launch window opens in late February or March 2026 from Pad 2 at Starbase. SpaceX will not attempt a booster catch on this flight. Ship 39 will attempt a controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean. The orbital refueling demonstration planned for June 2026 depends on Flight 12 succeeding, and NASA's Artemis program has no backup plan. We talk about Starship Flight 12 Technical Report, SpaceX production timeline and testing milestones, FCC communications window filing and NASA Artemis program dependencies.The Starship system is a fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. The system is composed of a booster stage named Super Heavy and a second stage, also called "Starship" and is being built at Starbase, Texas.00:00:00 - SpaceX Starship Flight 12 update00:01:48 - Raptor 3 Engine00:02:38 - Ship 39 Design00:03:20 - COPV Failure Investigation00:04:45 - Starbase Pad 200:05:36 - Flight Profile00:07:05 - Testing Timeline00:07:57 - NASA Artemis Impact00:08:33 - 2026 Roadmap00:09:15 - What's next for flight 12?
In this episode, we explore a remarkable array of developments in space exploration and astronomy that are making headlines. We begin with a historic moment as NASA orders its first controlled medical evacuation from the International Space Station, bringing home the entire Crew 11 team due to a medical issue affecting one astronaut. This unprecedented decision underscores the importance of crew safety and the challenges of long-duration spaceflight.Next, we look forward to the upcoming February full moon, known as the Snow Moon, which promises a stunning display in the night sky. With peak illumination set for February 1st, we provide tips for the best viewing experience across various regions.Shifting our focus to the ongoing advancements at SpaceX's Starbase, we discuss significant upgrades to Pad 1, preparing for the next generation of Starship launches. These enhancements aim to facilitate rapid reusability and increase launch frequency, crucial for the ambitious goals of the Starship programme.We also address the unfortunate news regarding NASA's Mars Sample Return mission, which has effectively been shelved due to budget cuts. This opens the door for China's simpler and potentially quicker plans to return Martian samples, marking a significant shift in the landscape of Mars exploration.In a thrilling discovery, the Vera Rubin Observatory has identified the fastest spinning large asteroid ever recorded, prompting discussions on the implications for asteroid deflection strategies.Finally, we unveil a new map detailing the origins of billions of ghostly neutrinos that pass through us daily, offering insights into stellar processes and the mysteries of our galaxy.Join us as we unpack these fascinating stories and more in this episode of Astronomy Daily!00:00 – **Astronomy Daily brings you the latest news from space and astronomy00:57 – **NASA orders medical evacuation of entire ISS crew due to medical issue03:43 – **February full moon is coming up soon. Peak illumination at 5:09pm Eastern on February 1st05:29 – **NASA's Mars sample return mission effectively dead after budget cuts06:31 – **The Vera Rubin Observatory has spotted the fastest spinning large asteroid ever discovered07:47 – **From ISS drama to neutrino maps. What a day in space news### Sources & Further Reading1. NASA2. SpaceX3. European Space Agency4. Galactic Neutrinos### Follow & ContactX/Twitter: @AstroDailyPodInstagram: @astrodailypodEmail: hello@astronomydaily.ioWebsite: astronomydaily.ioClear skies and see you next time!
SpaceX flew Starship five times in 2025. The first three flights lost their ships during ascent. A fourth ship exploded on the test stand. Then Flights 10 and 11 succeeded, proving Block 2 works. Meanwhile, SpaceX is constructing Giga Bays in Texas and Florida to build 80-meter Block 4 boosters, preparing five launch pads across two states, and developing barge transport to ship vehicles from Starbase to Kennedy Space Center. Flight 12 with Block 3 hardware is next.
Track everything happening ahead of SpaceX Starship Flight 12 in one place. This live Starship Tracker follows the real-world milestones from Starbase as they happen, including vehicle status, test campaign progress, schedule signals, and any official updates that move the launch closer.What you will see on this tracker:Current readiness status and major pre-flight milestonesStarbase activity updates and test operations timelineShip and Booster progress checkpoints (as reported by credible sources)Launch window signals, delays, and what they likely meanFlight 12 news recaps when meaningful updates breakSources referenced may include: SpaceX statements, FAA notices, public filings, on-site reporting, and reputable spaceflight outlets. This is an independent tracker and is not affiliated with SpaceX.If you want more Starship coverage, subscribe and turn on notifications so you do not miss key Flight 12 developments.#SpaceX #Starship #Starbase #Flight12 #SpaceNews
STARSHIP: THE FULLY REUSABLE ARCHITECTURE FOR MARS Colleague Eric Berger. At Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX transformed a swamp into "Starbase," a modern rocket factory for the Starship and Super Heavy launch system. Starship represents the endgame of Musk's vision: a fully reusable rocket larger than the Saturn V, designed to be caught by "chopstick" arms on the launch tower to eliminate landing legs and speed up reuse. The plan involves orbital refueling and launching fleets of ships every two years to transport massive amounts of cargo, serving as a "Grand Central Station" for deep space colonization. NUMBER 8 1921 FRANCE
Episode Notes We had a good week. Too bad these episodes are less good. Sons and Daughters: Worf continues to bridezilla. Bet you forgot Alexander existed, because Worf sure did. Worf continues to be a terrible dad. Dukat is a less terrible parent than Worf, somehow. Dukat is able to simultaneously be genuine and try to find every possible advantage. Martok is, on the other hand, a swell dude and a better friend than Worf deserves. Behind the Line: The Defiant is operating out of Starbase 375 and kicking butt. So much that Sisko's skills are being "better used elsewhere". Poor Captain Dad. The Ketracel White situation is getting worse, and Damarr has no opsec. The Female Changeling stops by the station to goo with Odo, and gosh is that bad for the resistance cell. BabSpace9 is a production of the Okay, So network. Connect with the show at @babylonpod.page Help us keep the lights on via our Patreon! Justen can be found at @justen.babylonpod.page Ana can be found at @ana.babylonpod.page, and also made our show art. Both Ana and Justen can also be found on The Compleat Discography, a Discworld re-read podcast. Jude Vais can be found at @jude.athrabeth.com. His other work can be found at Athrabeth - a Tolkien Podcast and at Garbage of the Five Rings. Clips from the original show remain copyrighted by Paramount Entertainment and are used under the Fair Use doctrine. Music attribution: Original reworking of the Deep Space 9 theme by audioquinn, who stresses that this particular war crime is not their fault. This show is edited and produced by Aaron Olson, who can be found at @aaron.compleatdiscography.page Find out more at http://babylonpod.page
The Space Show Presents Dr. Casey Handmer, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025Short Summary:The meeting focused on discussing the Artemis program's challenges and complexities, with particular emphasis on comparing NASA's current architecture with SpaceX's Starship capabilities for lunar missions. The group explored various technical and political considerations, including orbital refueling requirements, safety constraints, and the potential for China to establish a lunar presence before the U.S. They also discussed broader topics such as the feasibility of Mars missions, the challenges of powering data centers in space, and the need for NASA reorganization to remain competitive in the global space race.Detailed Summary:David and Casey discussed the challenges and complexities of the Artemis program, emphasizing the need for simplification and focusing on delivering only what is essential to achieve the lunar mission. Casey highlighted the importance of reducing complexity, similar to the Apollo era's lunar orbit rendezvous approach, and noted that congressional funding often prioritizes parochial interests over strategic goals. They also touched on the potential for China to establish a lunar presence by 2029, suggesting that the U.S. needs to accelerate its efforts to remain competitive.Casey criticized the current NASA architecture for returning to the moon, particularly SLS, Orion, and Gateway, arguing they are inefficient and costly, while Starship offers a more viable alternative. Phil challenged Casey's views, questioning whether halting funding for Orion and SLS is the right move, and they debated Starship's current capabilities, with Casey defending SpaceX's engineering expertise and Phil citing his own calculations showing Starship lacks sufficient delta-V for orbital flight. Marshall suggested that Test Flight 13 could demonstrate Starship's orbital capabilities, potentially resolving the debate.The Space Show Wisdom Team discussed the comparison between SpaceX's Starship and NASA's SLS/Orion programs, focusing on orbital refueling capabilities and safety constraints. Casey argued that even if Starship demonstrates orbital refueling, NASA would continue funding SLS due to political reasons, while Phil suggested canceling SLS if Starship meets safety constraints and achieves 100+ ton propellant transfers. The discussion highlighted concerns about Starship's refueling requirements and success rates, while emphasizing the challenges of orbital refueling compared to satellite deployment. Bill noted that launch success probabilities might improve over time, but Casey emphasized the timing issues and marginal requirements in the Artemis program.The group discussed the differences between SpaceX's and NASA's approaches to space exploration, with Casey emphasizing the efficiency and innovation at SpaceX's Starbase in Texas. All discussed the challenges of boil-off in rocket fuel tanks, noting that while it is a concern for liquid hydrogen, it is not a significant issue for methane. They also explored the possibility of using Falcon Heavy instead of the SLS and Orion for lunar missions, with Ajay suggesting that Falcon Heavy could be a more cost-effective and safer option. Casey agreed, stating that using Falcon Heavy and Dragon could simplify and potentially reduce the risks of the Artemis program.The Wisdom Team discussed the Artemis program and its viability for returning to the moon, with Casey explaining that while many in the industry doubt the current approach, the program remains a government policy with congressional approval. David raised concerns about the lack of technical expertise at the highest levels of NASA and questioned how to effectively advocate for program changes, noting that Congress may not fully grasp technical details. Casey suggested that successful completion of the HLS contract by SpaceX could influence future decisions, while Marshall highlighted the potential for embarrassment and increased urgency if China achieves a moon landing before the US.Casey expressed concerns about China's potential lunar claims and the need for U.S. space dominance, while David inquired about the blowback from Casey's blog post criticizing NASA's Orion space capsule as garbage. Casey explained that the post was well-received and based on NASA's own internal watchdog reports, highlighting past NASA failures. Phil suggested creating an Office of the Inspector General for SpaceX and Blue Origin due to perceived lack of oversight, to which Casey responded that existing oversight bodies like NASA's OIG and FAA can already address issues with NASA-funded programs.The Wisdom Team discussed the accuracy of refueling estimates for the Starship rocket, with IG analysis showing 16 refuelings compared to SpaceX's estimate of 8-12. Casey noted that while most people working on the Starship program lack expertise in making these calculations, the actual number of qualified experts worldwide is less than 10. The discussion then shifted to alternative landers for the HLS program, including a potential intermediate human-rated lander from Blue Origin that would be larger than the Mark I but smaller than the HLS version, though Casey and others questioned its viability due to launch and fuel efficiency challenges.Next, we focused on the feasibility of human missions to Mars, with Casey explaining that while significant progress has been made since 2025, achieving a self-sustaining city on Mars would require approximately 10,000 additional Starship missions beyond initial landings by 2035. Casey noted that life support systems for Mars missions are technically feasible, citing nuclear submarines as a precedent, and suggested that while faster transit times would be desirable, they are not essential for mission success. The conversation concluded with a discussion about advanced propulsion systems, with Casey proposing antimatter propulsion as a potential future technology that could enable human exploration beyond Mars, though he acknowledged that such developments are not currently in the near-term plans of space agencies.David brought up questions about the feasibility of AI data centers in low Earth orbit, with Casey expressing skepticism and suggesting that ground-based solutions near Starlink gateways would be more cost-effective and efficient due to latency and infrastructure constraints. Ajay emphasized the potential of thorium-based molten salt reactor nuclear power plants for data centers, citing their lower cost and easier construction compared to space-based options. Casey countered that building enough nuclear reactors to meet the energy demands of AI data centers on Earth is unlikely, and highlighted the need for further computational analysis to determine the viability of space-based solutions.The Wisdom Team discussed the challenges of powering data centers, with Casey noting that while it's possible to build a 10 gigawatt data center in 18 months, there's no way to power it that quickly. Marshall suggested using Starlink satellites to provide computing power, while others emphasized the need for reliable communication infrastructure. The conversation then shifted to the future of the Starliner program, with Casey expressing doubt about its viability due to ongoing technical issues and financial losses. The discussion concluded with a brief exploration of the high costs associated with Mars sample return missions, which Casey attributed to the complex coordination between multiple agencies and contractors.Casey discussed the challenges at JPL, highlighting how bureaucratic inefficiencies and lack of incentives for cost-saving measures have led to expensive and delayed missions, such as the Mars Rover, which cost $2.4 billion and was 12 years late. He noted that JPL has laid off 1,500 people and is struggling due to reduced project work, while commercial space has taken over many traditional NASA roles. Casey emphasized that NASA and JPL lack fiscal discipline compared to private industry and suggested that the agency needs reorganization or new missions to remain relevant.Casey discussed the urgent need to enhance NASA's operational capacity to ensure U.S. strategic interests are not compromised by other nations, emphasizing that decades of neglect have created a dire situation that requires significant effort to address. He also shared his work on synthetic fuel production, inspired by the need for a primary materials supply chain on Mars, and highlighted the challenges and opportunities in developing this technology using solar power. The conversation included discussions about refining processes for metals and the potential for innovation in energy production, with Casey encouraging interested individuals to join his team or pursue their own ventures in this field.Special thanks to our sponsors:Northrup Grumman, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4469: Brian Clegg, author of The Multiverse When One Universe Isn't Enough” | Friday 05 Dec 2025 930AM PTGuests: Brian CleggZoom: Brian Clegg, author of The Multiverse When One Universe Isn't Enough”Broadcast 4470 Zoom: OPEN LINES | Sunday 07 Dec 2025 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZoom: Open Lines Discussion. Join us with Zoom phone lines Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe
Starship and Super Heavy: The Fully Reusable Mars Vehicle. Eric Berger details the development of Starship and Super Heavy at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Starship is the culmination of SpaceX's efforts: a fully reusable, super heavy rocket much larger than the Saturn 5, designed to carry humans into deep space and enable the Mars colony. A critical innovation for rapid reuse is the "chopstick" system, which catches both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship second stage, saving time and mass. The long-term plan involves using a fleet of Starships, refueled in low Earth orbit, to transport a million tons of cargo to Mars during biannual transfer windows. Guest: Eric Berger. Retry
SpaceX's Starship flight test 11 went as planned as the space company launched the Super-Heavy rocket from Starbase, Texas, on a suborbital flight.
The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: How did the week of hearings before a panel of three federal judges in El Paso over Texas' congressional district map redraw go? Travis Morgan, for the Texas Scorecard, covered the entire ordeal and has written this analysis. To see the daily hearing coverage, click here. Links to each day's coverage is at the bottom.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.The U.S. Supreme Court is putting us all in the sites for Leftist lawfare by not accepting the appeal of Texas-based talk host Alex Jones. Few want to write about this topic as they don't want to be seen as defending Alex Jones. I understand that but they better start defending the issue because it is self defense.SpaceX had a wildly successful test flight, test 11, from Starbase, Texas on Monday evening. Space historian and writer Bob Zimmerman of behindtheblack.com joins us to summarize what happened.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com
A candid conversation with high school engineer and FIRST Robotics alum Natalie Macias about curiosity, consistency, and carving out room for young makers inside a sometimes closed-off industry. We talk early exposure to CAD and flight sims, why manufacturing is the first mile of everything, the lemon tree lesson on failure, and how leaders can be firm yet flexible. Natalie wants more hands-on opportunities before college and a more welcoming on-ramp for students who are ready to show up.Guest:Natalie Macias, student engineer from Los Angeles, senior capstone lead, robotics team veteran, and Future Faces of Manufacturing feature with AMT. She's using LinkedIn to learn directly from practitioners and find mentors across the industry.What you'll hear:How a DOD Starbase program quietly introduced CAD, chemistry, and flight simulation to a curious kid from South CentralWhy FIRST Robotics felt like a real company under deadline, with design, programming, assembly, and manufacturing all moving togetherThe jump from loving law to choosing engineering, then finding home in manufacturingA classroom set up like DARPA, complete with two “companies” competing for a contract under a mentor who worked at Northrop GrummanWhy opportunity before college is the missing bridge and how dual-enrollment and apprenticeships could fix itLeadership as knowing your people, staying open to feedback, and bending for the needs of the group without becoming a people-pleaserCreating space in schools so students can actually grow rather than learn inside a boxFailure as pruning a lemon tree so the next season grows strongerUsing LinkedIn for mentorship and perspective, not just job huntingThe ask to our audience for college experience stories from programs that truly delivered hands-on engineeringKey quotes:“If you keep showing up, even if you didn't do well, you're showing that you want to be there. That goes a long way.”“Manufacturing is phase one. Piece by piece, chip by chip, you're contributing to something bigger.”“Failure isn't to stop us. It's pruning the dead branches so the tree can grow.”“Be firm where it matters and flexible where it helps the group.”“Create space for growth. Don't keep students in a box, then act surprised when they don't grow.”Topics covered:Early STEM ignition through Starbase and school projectsFIRST Robotics as a training ground for teamwork and urgencyHands-on access for high schoolers versus the current college-first gateHow industry perceptions can intimidate newcomers and how to fix that welcomeLeadership habits students will actually followNatalie's college search and what she's looking for in an engineering programThe pace of automation and why that excites herNatalie's ask to listeners:If you studied engineering or work in manufacturing, message Natalie on LinkedIn with what your university actually did to prepare you. What labs, co-ops, shops, or professors made the difference. Short stories beat brochures.Sponsor note:Med Device Boston is the go-to Med Tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 through October 1 at Boston's VCEC. 200 plus suppliers. 1500 plus attending professionals and OEM decision makers. Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof. Register and plan your visit at meddeviceboston.com.Resources mentioned:Starbase STEM programFIRST Robotics CompetitionProject-based capstone with a Northrop Grumman mentorDual-enrollment and apprenticeship models for high school studentsHow to support Natalie:Share a warm intro to mentors who welcome high school talent into labs, job shops, and build teamsInvite her to tour your facility or shadow an engineer for a daySend those honest college experience notes she asked forAbout the Manufacturing Connector Network:We help brands and builders turn trade shows, plant tours, and expert interviews into a steady pipeline of video, audio, and social content. On-site capture, mobile studio, short-form editing, podcast production, and distribution that stays consistent week after week. If you're heading to a show or launching a product, we'll bring the cameras and do the heavy lifting.
SpaceX: Starbase building. Joe Pappalardo, Texas Monthly 1953
SpaceX: Starbase building. Joe Pappalardo, Texas Monthly continued 1952
Preview: SpaceX: Colleague Joe Pappalardo reports on the early days of creating Starbase USA from Boca Chica Texas. More later. 1959
Today's show: Jason sits down with Balaji Srinivasan in Singapore to explore how he's turning years of theory into reality with Network School—the first node of a broader vision for internet-native, decentralized societies. Balaji explains how these “sharp societies” combine education, co-living, and startup culture to create physical communities aligned by values, not geography. From digital nomads to aspiring founders, people are opting into these new systems as an alternative to broken traditional governance. They discuss everything from Starbase and sovereignty to the future of democracy, Bitcoin, and America's place in a multipolar world.Timestamps:(0:00) Introduction of Balaji Srinivasan and the impact of Bitcoin(1:39) The concept of Network School and Network State, including startup societies(4:05) Benefits and historical context of network effects in communities(7:08) Economic and social benefits of Network School(9:35) Global appeal and diverse motivations of Network School participants(10:22) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(12:30) Media perspectives on new societies and the challenge of self-determination(19:35) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(24:00) Personal experiences with US state migration and critique of California politics(27:11) The right to exit, thousand city system, and the two-party system(29:44) Vouched - Trust for agents that's built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist(31:09) Choosing a country like choosing a college and impressions of new cities(34:03) America's global reputation, politics, and the decline of empires(39:25) Dollar devaluation, Bitcoin's future, and global currency dynamics(41:26) Global power struggles: China versus the Internet and US demographics(44:01) Trump's tariffs, MAGA, and international trade realities(48:12) China's manufacturing dominance and US diplomatic legacy(54:39) The Internet's counterbalance to China and Bitcoin's future risks(1:00:31) Role of cryptocurrencies, quantum computing, and Bitcoin security(1:02:12) Cryptocurrency challenges and the resilience of Bitcoin(1:03:27) Network school state community and opportunities for investors(1:04:01) Closing remarks and final pitch for Network SchoolSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:22) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(19:35) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(29:44) Vouched - Trust for agents that's built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist(0:00)Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
Oliver Laughland, The Guardian's U.S. southern bureau chief, discusses his reporting on the election in Elon Musk's new company town in Texas, his coverage of new police collaboration with Trump's mass deportation plan, and conditions in “Detention Alley.”
Amazing fact from the Kentucky Derby. Fun weekend for the White House X account. The Left is suddenly defending religion because of the AI Trump as pope. President Trump updates America on the progress of the tariff wars. Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) schools Bill Maher on the economy and President Trump's plan. James Carville tells the biggest lie about lying. Preview of the Trump budget plan. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) posts a West Wing clip that doesn't make the point he hoped it would. ICE agents to show up at Cinco de Mayo events around the country today? Sean Penn's tortured analogy about President Trump. Trump wants to reopen Alcatraz. It's now official … the city of Starbase, Texas. Only electric vehicles will be allowed by 2035. Houthi missile lands near Tel Aviv, Israel, airport. Two more near misses near D.C. airport involving Army helicopters. Tariffs for foreign-made movies? MAMA: Make American Movies Again! Prince Harry wants to be let back into the royal family. How much of a threat are chemtrails? 00:00 Pat Gray UNLEASHED 00:15 NEW Pat Gray BINGO! Card 04:55 Kentucky Derby Recap 09:05 The Left goes Crazy over Pope Trump 16:22 Trump Talks with NBC about China & Tariffs 23:55 Kevin McCarthy Schools Bill Maher on Trump's Economic Plan 27:00 James Carville Says 'Democrats Don't Lie' 30:35 Outline for the 2026 Budget Released by the White House 37:30 Tension around Cinco de Mayo Celebrations 41:55 Sean Penn Thinks Trump Wants to Destroy the World 54:51 The Islamification of Britain 1:07:21 Only Electric Cars in Canada by 2035?! 1:12:07 What Does James O'Keefe Know??? 1:15:45 Trump Seeks to Tax Overseas Films 1:22:12 Prince Harry Seeks to Get Back in Good Graces with the British Monarchy 1:26:13 Pat's Chemtrail Whistleblower Story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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