A sparkling SpaceX Starship model propelled into the sky above southern Texas Thursday (Sept. 3) in a brief uncrewed dry run of a rocket intended for possible excursions to the moon and Mars.

The barrel-shaped Starship SN6 vehicle, which looks a lot of like a grain storehouse with a rocket motor, ascended high into the air over SpaceXs Boca Chica test site, floated for a couple of seconds, and afterward set down on squat landing legs, as indicated by a video of the occasion caught by the travel industry site SPadre.com and NASASpaceflight.com. The flight seemed like an Aug. 4 trial of SpaceXs Starship SN5 model, which arrived at around 500 feet (150 meters) on that jump.

The organization propelled a Falcon 9 rocket conveying 60 Starlink web satellites into SpaceXs developing uber heavenly body.

Source: Business Insider.com

Starship SN6 is the most recent in a line of models SpaceX has utilized as testbeds for the advances required for a huge, completely reusable dispatch framework for profound space missions. A portion of those models has detonated coincidentally. Others by structure, while still others like the SN5 model and a littler scope Starhopper made that flew a few practices ran a year ago have made genuine rocket-controlled jumps.

SpaceXs Starship plans require a design comprising the 165-foot-tall (50 m) Starship shuttle and a goliath rocket called Super Heavy that will dispatch the vehicle off Earth.

Elon Musk, SpaceXs organizer and CEO, has uncovered a progression of advancing structures for the Starship dispatch framework lately. The latest structure, uncovered in September 2019, requires a Starship fit for conveying up to 100 individuals utilizing six Raptor motors on the vehicle and another 31 motors on the Super Heavy promoter.

The two vehicles will be reusable, with the full stack probably propelling from an ocean-based stage, Musk has said. The organization has just marked its first client for a Starship trip around the moon Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa, who would like to fly in 2023. NASA has additionally picked SpaceXs Starship as one of three business shuttle to land space travelers on the moon by 2024 conceivably.

The single-motor SN6 wont go that high, yet one of its replacements will if all works out as expected.

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SpaceX Finally Launches Starship SN6 Prototype For A Test Flight, And That Is Made For Moon And Mars Mission - The Digital Wise

BOCA CHICA, TX - SEPTEMBER 28: A prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft is seen at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019 in Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas. The Starship spacecraft is a massive vehicle meant to take people to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

BOCA CHICA, TX - SEPTEMBER 28: A prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft is seen at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019 in Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas. The Starship spacecraft is

Photo: Loren Elliott/Getty Images

BOCA CHICA, TX - SEPTEMBER 28: A prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft is seen at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019 in Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas. The Starship spacecraft is a massive vehicle meant to take people to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

BOCA CHICA, TX - SEPTEMBER 28: A prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft is seen at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019 in Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas. The Starship spacecraft is

SpaceX plans to build luxury spaceport resort in a tiny Texas town

SpaceX, the American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company, is currently building its new passenger and cargo aircraft, Starship. According to the website, the aircraft will offer 'service to Earth orbit, Moon, Mars and beyond.'

The company has plans to chauffeur passengers to Mars in the near future, and part of this endeavor will include a luxury resort stay. The SpaceX site, in Boca Chica, Texas, is seeking a "Resort Development Manager" with the hopes that the city will become a 21st century Spaceport.

Boca Chica is one of Texas tiniest towns-- so small, it could probably be considered a tiny village. Once a quiet beach town, it is now occupied by spaceships.

The job posting,spotted by CNBCs Michael Sheetz, stated that SpaceX is looking for a talented Resort Development Manager to oversee the development of SpaceXs first resort from inception to completion.

The company is looking for candidates with experience in "high end brand luxury development."

According to Tech Crunch, SpaceX's CEO Elon Muskshared his intent to build floating spaceports for both interstellar and point-to-point Earth travel back in June, when the company announced it was seeking Offshore Operations Engineers, also to be located in Brownsville.

The aerospace company is preparing its own vehicles for plans to offer oribtal return flights for paying customers using 'Dragon.' Tech Crunch also reported that Dragon is now closer than ever to human flight certification thanks to having completed a return trip to Earth with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board.

Private interstellar travelers could be on their way as early as next year. Now, I'm all for luxurious trips, but I can't say I'm too sold on astronomical travel just yet-- especially if it's spearheaded by Elon Musk.

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SpaceX plans to build luxury spaceport resort in a tiny Texas town - Chron.com

Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskHillicon Valley: GOP lawmaker says 'no place in Congress' for QAnon after supporter's primary win | Uber CEO says app could temporarily shutdown in California if ruling upheld | Federal agency warns hackers targeting small business loan program Top Republican criticizes Twitter's briefing on massive hack SpaceX is building the road to the moon and Mars in Texas MOREs SpaceX has had an incredible week. It started with the triumphant return of Dragon astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley from the International Space Station. The conclusion of their space mission was a curious combination of the modern and the retro. The Crew Dragon is a state-of-the-art spacecraft, yet it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico dangling from parachutes just as they did during the Apollo program.

In the meantime, SpaceX scored another success at its growing spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas, when it sent a prototype of its Starship interplanetary craft on a 150-meter hop. The stainless-steel vehicle lifted off and, more importantly, landed without cracking up. Eventually Musk intends to use the Starship, to be launched by the Super Heavy first stage, to take people and cargo to the moon, Mars and beyond.

SpaceX closed out the week with another successful launch of satellites for its Starlink constellation.

Imagine living in Texas a few decades from now and suddenly being possessed with the desire to visit the moon. Traditionally, the only way such a dream could become reality would be for you to go through the arduous process of becoming a NASA astronaut and then hoping that Congress would fund a back-to-the-moon program.

If SpaceXs Elon Musk has his way, a new road will be devised to go to the moon and Mars and beyond. The scrappy, entrepreneurial space launch company is planning to build an offshore spaceport to launch its Starship spacecraft. The rocket ship would not only fly to far distant destinations in space, but to similar offshore spaceports around the world. Travel to Europe and Asia would be cut from many hours to tens of minutes.

If he has his way, you will be able to travel down to the now-thriving port community of Boca Chica, possibly on a Hyperloop, the mass transit-system inspired by Elon Musk, and book passage on a SpaceX Starship for a vacation on the moon. You might look forward to hiking across the lunar landscape in a spacesuit, like Neil Armstrong so long ago and visiting the Tranquility Base monument and see where he and Buzz Aldrin first trod the moons surface.

You might need to take a suborbital hop to Tokyo or Dubai on business and need to be there in time to have dinner with some clients. If Musks vision is realized, a few minutes in your seat experiencing the G forces of takeoff and landing, and youd be making your way halfway across the world, with dinner reservations in hand. You wouldnt be confined for hours on end in a stuffy cabin with little leg room and bad food to make that journey.

Or maybe you might move to Elon Musks Mars settlement. Like the immigrants who boarded a ship to the New World centuries ago, you and your family would embark in a Starship for a new life on a real New World 100 million miles away. The Texas Gulf Coast would be the last sight of Earth that youd ever see close at hand.

Such a vision would seem to be science fiction. But even before the past week, Musk already accomplished a lot, from the reusable first stage of the Falcon 9 to the Falcon Heavy, capable of flinging huge payloads across the interplanetary vastness. Anyone who wants to wager against SpaceX opening space with what amounts to a galleon with rocket engines may be making a bad bet.

It is fitting that Texas will be the site of the first offshore spaceport. Texas engineers have built large structures in the Gulf of Mexico for decades to extract the oil and gas that have been the lifeblood of civilization. While fossil fuels may be replaced in the fullness of time by renewables, nuclear power and eventually fusion energy, the skills honed to build offshore drilling platforms will be used to construct launch pads that rocket ships will depart from, carrying passengers and cargos beyond the Earth.

A long time ago, people imagined that the 21st century would be a time of space travel and people living on other worlds. So far, the current century has been a time of terrorism, civil strife, political mendacity and a worldwide pandemic that seems to come out of a different kind of science fiction future. Perhaps, thanks to entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, working alone and in partnership with NASA, the future of a space frontier, not to mention rocket travel from one point to the other on Earth, will just be a little late in coming.

Mark Whittington, who writes frequently about space and politics, has published a political study of space exploration entitled Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? as well as The Moon, Mars and Beyond. He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner. He is published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Hill, USA Today, the LA Times, and the Washington Post, among other venues.

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SpaceX is building the road to the moon and Mars in Texas | TheHill - The Hill

Elon Musk's internet service has taken another great stride after 57 more Starlink satellites were launched on Friday, August 7. Mr Musk has said Starlink needs to have about 800 satellites in orbit before it can begin to roll out initial services. But even if the company is not yet supplying internet yet, you can still see SpaceX's physical work dotted across the night's sky.

Express.co.uk gives you the complete rundown of the times the Starlink constellation will be visible over the UK in the coming days.

August 11: Travelling west to east at 2.51am

August 11: Travelling west to east at 4.24am

August 12: Travelling west to east 1.57am (poor visibility)

August 12: Travelling west to east at 3.29am

August 12: Travelling west to east at 5.04am

August 13: Travelling northeast to east at 2.36am

August 13: Travelling west to east at 4.09am

August 14: Travelling west to east at 3.15am

August 14: Travelling west to southeast at 4.49am

The website Find Starlink also allows you to track the satellites in real-time.

At the time of writing, the fleet of miniature satellites is currently travelling over the North Atlantic Ocean, heading from South America to Europe.

It has been a busy few weeks for SpaceX, with the company reaching other major milestones on top of its latest Starlink launch, with the company safely returning two NASA astronauts from the ISS on Monday, August 3.

Doug Hurley and Bob Benken returned from the orbiting laboratory on the Dragon capsule, prompting Mr Musk to welcome in a new era of the space age.

READ MORE:SpaceX latest - South Koreas secret military satellite launched in US

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Starlink satellites tracker UK: How to see SpaceX's Starlink over the UK this week - Daily Express

President Donald Trump took to Twitter today (Aug. 5) to announce that he brought NASA back from being "Closed & Dead."

In a tweet posted today, Trump said that he had resurrected the space agency. But the claim doesn't hold up under scrutiny: NASA has never closed since it was founded in 1958, and it has certainly never been "dead."

"NASA was Closed & Dead until I got it going again," Trump wrote in the tweet. "Now it is the most vibrant place of its kind on the Planet...And we have Space Force to go along with it. We have accomplished more than any Administration in first 3 1/2 years. Sorry, but it all doesnt happen with Sleepy Joe!"

Related: What is the United States Space Force?

Many on Twitter have been quick to point out the inconsistencies and factual inaccuracies in this tweet, which also includes a reference to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

One of the most obvious errors in Trump's statement is that NASA was "closed" or somehow inactive or "dead" before his administration. This is simply not the case, and it ignores a basic truth about big-ticket spaceflight projects:they require substantial timelines to come to life.

For example, NASA's move to embrace and grow commercial spaceflight took off during the administration of President George W. Bush, with the establishment of the Commercial Cargo Program in 2006. That program has been quite successful: Two different robotic resupply craft SpaceX's Cargo Drago capsule and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus vehicle now routinely fly uncrewed cargo missions to the space station for NASA.

The Commercial Crew Program got going in 2010 under Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama (whom Biden served as vice president). Commercial Crew has nurtured the development of SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle, which just wrapped up the company's first crewed mission, the Demo-2 test flight to the space station.

Many NASA robotic exploration efforts have been in the works for a long time as well. For instance, NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launched last week, but research and development for the mission started much earlier.NASA launched an Announcement of Opportunity for researchers to pitch and develop the instruments and tools for the rover in September 2013.

Related: President Obama's space legacy: Mars, private spaceflight and more

The Obama administration also began development of the Orion crew capsule, which is set to be used for future moon-bound astronauts as part of NASA's current Artemis program, which aims to land humans on the moon again by 2024. That capsule will launch on NASA's massive Space Launch System, which also traces its roots to the Obama administration.

Before this, NASA's space shuttle program was pioneered under the Nixon administration. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a bill authorizing $5.5 million to develop a space shuttle. This program continued on through presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The program officially ended in 2011.

Preceding this lengthy program, President John F. Kennedy initiated America's first achievements in human spaceflight, first with Project Mercury and subsequently the Gemini program and Apollo program, the last of which came to fruition under Nixon.

So, in short, stating that the Trump administration is solely responsible for progress being made in the space sector would directly contrast with the infrastructure, foundation and progress that has been achieved over the decades throughout a number of presidential administrations.

One bit Trump's tweet is based on facts, however: the U.S. Space Force was indeed created during the Trump administration. While the U.S. already had Air Force Space Command, which is integrated into the U.S. Air Force, the Space Force was officially established in December 2019.

President Trump has also sought to boost NASA's budget during his years in office. This past February, for example, the White House's federal budget request allocated NASA $25.2 billion, a 12% increase over the agency's 2020 funding (though it's unclear how much Congress will end up actually giving the space agency).

The final detail of the Trump tweet that has received scrutiny is the video attached to it, which shows SpaceX's Starship SN5 prototype vehicle completing a roughly 500-foot-high (150 meters) test hop in Boca Chica, Texas, yesterday (Aug. 4). Starship SN5 is a full-size prototype of SpaceX'sStarship spacecraft, which the company aims to use for future crewed missions to Mars.

Many were confused by the included video, which was tweeted by Chris Bergin of NASASpaceflight.com, because it showcases a private SpaceX effort, not NASA activity. NASA and SpaceX work together frequently SpaceX is even working with NASA to develop its Starship vehicle for future crewed lunar landings as part of NASA's Human Landing System (HLS) program but this test flight was a SpaceX endeavor.

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Trump says 'NASA was Closed & Dead' before he took charge. That's not true. - Space.com

Final week, when Microsoft introduced that cloud gaming can be becoming a member of Xbox Recreation Cross Final on September 15th, many questions have been answered about the way forward for the service. Crucially, it additionally answered the query of what occurs to xCloud on iOS thanks Apple.

As Microsoft strikes in the direction of bringing this service to life, the corporate has closed the books on the preview of cloud gaming often known as xCloud. However beginning tomorrow, cloud gaming will likely be a part of Xbox Recreation Cross Beta app on Android.

Which means that in case you are utilizing that app and are additionally an Xbox Recreation Cross Final subscriber, it is possible for you to to entry the service forward of common availability beginning in September. Microsoft supplied the next assertion about this replace:

As we strategy the launch of cloud gaming with Xbox Recreation Cross Final on September 15, were coming into a restricted beta interval to make sure a easy transition of the cloud gaming expertise to the Xbox Recreation Cross app on Android. Present Xbox Recreation Cross (Beta) app customers will get the chance to check a subset of the accessible titles as we prepared the expertise for broader availability subsequent month. This restricted beta is vital to offering the very best expertise for members at launch and shouldnt be thought-about indicative of the ultimate expertise or library.

The purpose of this beta is to assist cloud gaming migrate to its remaining residence contained in the Xbox Recreation Cross app and this restricted beta check will assist the corporate uncover any final gremlins earlier than launch.

Contemplating that Microsoft has greater than 10 million Recreation Cross subscribers, various will likely be making an attempt out cloud gaming on Sept 15th and that is the trail to bringing that utility to life for these clients in a manner thats sustainable.

Whereas not the most important announcement, if you take a look at the Recreation Cross Beta app tomorrow, dont be stunned if you can begin streaming a couple of titles from the cloud.

Tagged with Cloud Gaming, Recreation Cross, Challenge Xcloud, Xbox

Tech specialist. Social media guru. Evil problem solver. Total writer. Web enthusiast. Internet nerd. Passionate gamer. Twitter buff.

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E Ink demos a folding e-reader that can also take notes - Best gaming pro

Posted: Aug 10, 2020 / 03:43 PM CDT / Updated: Aug 10, 2020 / 03:43 PM CDT

Harlingen, Texas (KVEO)Construction for the South Port Connector Road is set to begin on Monday.

The $25.6 million project is aimed at improving urban traffic and access to the Port of Brownsville.

Brownsville Navigation District (BND), Cameron County, the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA), the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (RGVMPO) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) contributed to the project.

The port connector is the first phase of CCRMAs larger State Highway 32 construction project, according to officials with the Port of Brownsville.

The Port of Brownsvilles steady growth in cargo movement and overall activity makes the south port connector road critical to the regions future success in domestic and international trade, said John Reed, BND Chairman. The excellent partnership forged with Cameron County, the CCRMA, RGVMPO and TxDOT contributes greatly to the success of this project.

The 1.9 mile long port connector road is set to connect Ostos Road inside the port with State Highway 4.

It will provide another entry and exit to and from the port and convenient access to commercial lanes at Veterans International Bridge.

Officials say it will also facilitate the flow of cargo and other goods related to the space industry from the port docks to the SpaceX facility at Boca Chica.

The projected date of completion is late 2021.

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Construction for the South Port Connector begins on Monday - KGBT-TV

Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge

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Jump to15 Best Spots on the CoastBoca ChicaRedhead RidgeKenedy Ranch ShorelineEnd of Kleberg County Road 1120South BeachFish PassDagger PointThe Big TreeLa Salle LoopPrairie TrailMatagorda Island LighthouseNorth JettyGambusia Nature TrailTexas Highway 87Frozen Point

A sandy eight-mile beachon a narrow spit of arid land between the Rio Grande delta and the salt flats of the lower Laguna Madre, Boca Chica is the alpha and omega of Texasthe place where a once mighty river spills into the mightier Gulf, where the U.S. ends and Mexico begins, and where the high-rises of South Padre Island give way to an untamed, undeveloped coast. Protected by both state and federal authorities as part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, this gloriously empty stretch of shore calls to anyone wanting to give civilization the slip.

Thats exactly what drew me as far east as I could go on Texas Highway 4. Just past the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint, I was greeted by an old fuel tank with a spray-painted scrawl: Boca Chica Village Welcomes You. The depopulated village was as ghostly as the Civil War markers Id seen along the road, and I continued driving past the windswept grasslands and tidal inlets until the pavement ended at a break in the dunes. Except for the brown pelicans skimming the breakers and the red knots hunting the tide line for a meal, the beach was desolate. I turned south onto the sand, following a multitude of tire tracks about three miles to the small mouth of the Rio Grande.

When I visited Boca Chica back in 2001, the river was a mere trickle. A few months later, it halted at a sandbar that had formed at its mouth and made national headlines. But lately things have improved. In 2010 Falcon Dam was at capacity, and Mexico had major tropical storms, said Bryan Winton, the manager at the Rio Grande Valley refuge. With that dam release, we saw significant flooding. We have had no sizable rainfall since then, but we have farmers that need freshwater, so the river is still flowing.

The mouth of the river makes a fine place for a short hike. I got out of my car and explored the shell-specked sand, relieved to see a thirty-foot-wide inlet, its dark green water flashing occasional whitecaps, that offered a glimpse upstream. Patches of prickly pear and yucca hunched behind the dunes, and across the way, a lighthouse stood sentinel over the sands of Matamoros. I caught sight of a juvenile green turtle lying dead in a mat of sargassum weed and was filled with dismay, but I reminded myself that the five species of sea turtle known to breed in Texas would soon begin nesting nearby. Another end, another beginning.

To get there:Boca Chica is always open. Drive 23 miles east on Texas Highway 4 from Brownsville; the road dead-ends at the beach. There are no services, so youll need to bring your own food, water, and surfboard. Camping is not allowed.

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Jump to15 Best Spots on the CoastBoca ChicaRedhead RidgeKenedy Ranch ShorelineEnd of Kleberg County Road 1120South BeachFish PassDagger PointThe Big TreeLa Salle LoopPrairie TrailMatagorda Island LighthouseNorth JettyGambusia Nature TrailTexas Highway 87Frozen Point

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Boca Chica Texas Monthly

This site is open for day use only.

An entrance fee or donation may be required.

Continue south on FM 511. Cross TX 4 and continue to the merger of FM 511 and FM 3068 (FM 511 will veer to the right), continue south on FM 3068 to FM 1419. Turn west (right) on FM 1419 and go 0.6 mile to the entrance to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary, turn left, and proceed a quarter of a mile to the entrance which is marked by an opening in the Border Wall. Continue to the parking area and headquarters, just past the Rabb Plantation House. The lower extent of the Rio Grande was once bordered by 40,000 acres of Texas Sabal Palm forest. Now reduced to less than 100 acres, this sanctuary represents the largest remaining Texas Sabal Palm fragment in Texas. In addition to its magnificent palms, many species of plants found only rarely in the Valley thrive in this small preserve. Most of the Valley's avian specialties are present, including "Brownsville" Common Yellowthroat and "Lomita" Carolina Wren, two localized subspecies. Sabal Palm is traditionally the valley stronghold for nesting Yellow-green Vireo May to July. Additionally, a number of vagrants including Masked Duck, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat and Golden-crowned Warbler have been found within the property. Neotropical migrants that normally winter in Mexico may remain in the sanctuary throughout the winter months. Buff-bellied Hummingbird is almost assured to be seen at the feeders near the sanctuary headquarters.

A butterfly garden has been developed behind the Visitors Center, and many Valley butterfly rarities have been seen here. Zebras are commonly seen within the sanctuary; Boisduval's Yellow, Blue Metalmark, Tulcis Crescent, and Guava Skipper are among the rare butterflies that have occurred here. The sanctuary has a series of walking trails, including one that borders a resaca with observation blinds. When favorable water levels and bird movements coincide, Least Grebes as well as many species of ducks and shorebirds may be viewed at close range. Simply put, no trip to the Valley should exclude a visit to this remarkable sanctuary.

(956) 541-8034http://sabalpalmsanctuary.org

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Boca Chica Loop Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

SpaceX just fired the engine of its latest Starship prototype, paving the way for a test flight in the near future.

The company conducted a "static fire" test of Starship SN5 today (July 30), letting its single Raptor engine blaze while the vehicle remained tethered to the ground at SpaceX's South Texas facilities, near the village of Boca Chica.

The successful trial apparently earned the stainless-steel SN5, a test version of SpaceX's Mars-colonizing Starship spacecraft, a chance to slip its leash.

"Starship SN5 just completed full-duration static fire. 150m hop soon," SpaceX founder and CEO announced via Twitter today (July 30).

Related: SpaceX's Starship and Super Heavy Mars Rocket in Pictures

SpaceX has been iterating toward the final Starship design via a series of SN prototypes. Most of SN5's predecessors were lost at some point in the testing process, either during pressure trials or static fires. SN4, for example, exploded during a static fire on May 30, the fifth such test for the prototype.

But SpaceX doesn't seem inclined to subject the SN5 to so many engine trials. If Musk's tweet is any guide, the vehicle could rise about 500 feet (150 meters) into the South Texas skies sometime in the next few days.

Just one Starship prototype has made such an untethered flight to date: the stubby Starhopper, an early variant that was retired after getting several hundred feet off the ground in August 2019.

The final version of Starship will feature six Raptor engines, stand about 165 feet (50 m) tall and be capable of carrying up to 100 people, Musk has said. The spaceship will launch atop a gigantic rocket called Super Heavy, which will be powered by 31 Raptors of its own.

Starship and Super Heavy will be fully and rapidly reusable, Musk has said. The billionaire entrepreneur envisions the duo eventually filling all of SpaceX's needs, from launching satellites to Earth orbit to ferrying passengers to the moon, Mars and beyond.

The spaceflight system could get up and running quickly if testing and development go well. SpaceX representatives have said that the first Starship/Super Heavy missions likely launches of commercial communications satellites could come as early as 2021.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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SpaceX fires up Starship SN5 rocket prototype ahead of first test flight - Space.com

This article is no longer being updated. For the latest on Hanna, click here.

Storm surge washed over South Texas beaches and rain pounded down as Hurricane Hanna made landfall Saturday.

Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for 32 counties, many of them in areas ravaged in recent weeks by the coronavirus pandemic.

Life threatening flooding remained a threat in parts of Texas and Mexico as Hanna began the march inland. Hundreds of medical, emergency and search and rescue personnel were standing by in Texas, with aircraft, boats and vehicles, Abbott said at a press conference Saturday afternoon. He said a shelter would be opened at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio for people with medical needs. The Red Cross had plans to give hotel vouchers to other evacuees if necessary, Abbott said.

Water washed boards, tree limbs, trash and other debris over seawalls, piers and roads all along the coast.

More than 58,000 homes and businesses were without power across Texas as of about 7 p.m. CDT, mostly in the coastal region where Hanna came ashore, according to poweroutage.us.

A portion of the Bob Hall Pier in Corpus Christi washed away, and flood waters had reached the city's Art Museum of South Texas, KIII-TV reported. Images posted on social media also showed flooding in the downtown area.

A building was damaged hours south in Port Mansfield.

Earlier in the day, officials in Nueces County warned of the dangerous storm surge and flooding.

We are highly concerned about this surge of water that we are seeing," Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said in a news briefing earlier in the day

Residents were told to stay inside their homes as the storm also brought the potential for heavy rainfall and flooding.

"There are life-threatening situations with this storm," Canales warned. "Please take it very seriously."

(MORE: Latest Forecast for Hurricane Hanna)

Corpus Christi, located in Nueces County, saw a storm surge of more than 5 feet before high tide hits at 7:13 p.m., which could make impacts worse.

Portions of another pier along the coast also appeared to be washed away.

Canales told residents the safest place to be is at home.

This is Mother Natures stay at home order for all of us and I think that the rising waters particularly make it very difficult for anybody to safely move around," she said.

Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb reminded residents to stay away from beaches and to pay attention to barricades closing off flooded roadways.

Dont ever underestimate the power of water and what it can do," McComb said. "Its not forgiving.

A beach and roadway in Matagorda County, Texas, were covered with debris from Hurricane Hanna on Saturday, July 25, 2020.

He reminded those who do need to leave their homes for safety reasons to continue to take precautions against COVID-19.

"Remember, if youve joined a family member at some other residence than yours, that you take your masks and other things," McComb said at the Saturday briefing. "We still have the corona pandemic. We dont want to forget that and expose someone or be exposed if someone has it where youre going. So be mindful of that where ever you go. Keep your mask on.

Some communities along the Texas coast were urged to evacuate ahead of the storm.

The storm was causing storm surge and beach erosion Saturday afternoon in areas including Corpus Christi and Padre Island.

Officials in Willacy County advised people in Port Mansfield to evacuate.

It is highly encouraged that residents, property owners and tourist(s) consider evacuating the Port Mansfield area as soon as possible, Port Mansfield Port Director Ronald Mills said in a news release late Friday night, according to The Monitor newspaper.

A voluntary evacuation order was also issued for several communities in Kleberg County, which includes a portion of Padre Island. Residents in Ricardo, Riviera, Baffin Bay and Loyola were all urged to evacuate Friday, the Caller Times newspaper reported.

In San Patricio County, those living in low-lying areas and recreational vehicles or other vulnerable homes were advised to seek safer shelter.

(MORE: In the Era of Coronavirus and Social Distancing, Should You Go to a Shelter?)

Preparations were also made at the SpaceX South Texas launch facility at Boca Chica, where some equipment was moved inside.

Members of the Harlingen Fire Department help fill sandbags on Friday, July 24, 2020, ahead of Hurricane Hanna's arrival

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had earlier placed state resources on standby in anticipation of the storm.

The resources include search and rescue crews and equipment.

Across the Mexican border, officials in the state of Nuevo Leon were also moving assets into place if needed.

The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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South Texas Beaches Inundated with Storm Surge as Hurricane Hanna Makes Landfall; Shelter to Open in San Antonio - The Weather Channel

Thatgamecompany stated its Sky: Children of the Light cellular sport has topped 35 million downloads, together with 15 million prior to now month due to its launch on Android in addition to in China.

The soulful sport from the makers of Flower and Journey launched in July 2019 on iOS. The crew launched the Android model in April, 2020, and it debuted on Android in China on July 9, 2020. Whereas China supplied an enormous enhance, the general progress of the sport is international.

The Santa Monica, California-based firm headed by Jenova Chen additionally stated that its releasing the digital soundtrack for Sky today. Chen spoke at our GamesBeat Summit occasion in April about how the corporate created a constructive neighborhood of followers for Sky, which was a whimsical journey into lovely landscapes that gamers may undertake in a cooperative approach with pals.

The velocity of the downloads has accelerated. The corporate hit 20 million downloads round June 30. Between July 10 and July 30, Sky gained an extra 15 million new installs. The acceleration got here from the July 9 launch in China in addition to the launch of a brand new season of content material worldwide on iOS and Android.

Throughout the pandemic, Sky has been listed many instances as a should play sport due to its calming, socially related, and constructive nature, stated Jennie Kong, narrative author and head of communications for Thatgamecompany, in an e mail to GamesBeat.

Followers have performed Sky as a solution to keep in contact with pals as theyre socially distanced. The most recent Season of Sanctuary journey was additionally promoted as a digital trip for gamers to calm down collectively this summer time as nicely.

Vincent Diamante, who beforehand scored the studios soundtrack for Flower, created the music for Sky, which the corporate describes as a social journey set above the clouds in a forgotten and desolate kingdom. The music underscored the compassion on the coronary heart of the sport design, which inspired gamers to work collectively. The massive concepts behind Skys rating have been the fantastic thing about flight, marvel of the world, and the enjoyment of companionship.

Diamante started scoring music for the reason that starting of the missions six 12 months growth. The outcomes are within the 30-track first quantity album. The soundtrack was carried out by the Fames Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra with a 47-piece ensemble, incorporating each conventional orchestral and ethnic wind devices to create the musical rating in addition to sound results all through the sport.

Sky: Kids of the Gentle is accessible on the App Store and Google Play, and its coming quickly on Nintendo Change.

Sky Original Game Soundtrack Volume One shall be out there from at present for digital obtain for $10.

Originally posted here:

Twitter says a spear phishing attack led to the huge bitcoin scam - Best gaming pro

Hurricane Hanna is expected to make landfall in Texas this afternoon or early evening, just south of Corpus Christi. Of course, with hurricanes, forecasts can change so its a good idea to watch the storm on radar if youre in the region. Hanna is a Category 1 hurricane with winds of about 80 mph. Heres a look at live streams and webcams showing the storm as it makes landfall.

This first stream is from CBS 19, showing local news KIII in Corpus Christi. This will include live coverage of damage in the area and other news as the storm makes landfall just south of Corpus Christi.

LIVE COVERAGE: Hurricane Hanna moving into Texas coastHurricane Hanna is expected to make landfall in Texas, south of Corpus Christi as a category 1 storm. You can read more about the story HERE: https://www.cbs19.tv/article/weather/watch-live-hanna-is-a-category-1-hurricane-strength-this-morning-update-july-25-7-am/503-cf24fc1f-ab03-408a-b450-8f32baaa14ef NOTE: This is live coverage from our sister station KIII in Corpus Christi.2020-07-25T14:27:35Z

The storm is forecast to make landfall in the afternoon or early evening, CNN reported.

The stream below is a webcam from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Hanna Live from Corpus Christi, TXWebcam from the city of Corpus Christi, TX2020-07-11T11:43:14Z

Next is a beach cam from South Padre Island.

HURRICANE HANNA LIVE SOUTH PADRE ISLAND TEXAS SURF AND BEACH CAMSPADRE CAM is live 24/7 and tours SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Pad, the Starship construction area, and the beaches of South Padre Island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqgSVV36wNI STARSHIP CAM is live 24/7 in 4K and currently overviews the Starship assembly area at SpaceX Boca Chica. Best cam for desktop or large screen viewing. Cam is located on South Padre Island, 6 miles away. Visibility and clarity is relative to atmospheric conditions. Midday heat causes heat mirage effect, best viewing is morning and evening, with night viewing also possible. https://youtu.be/rCnl4IZOPe0 STARSHIP ZOOM CAM is live 24/7 and currently zooms onto Starship assembly area at SpaceX Boca Chica. Best cam for mobile viewing. Cam is located on South Padre Island, 6 miles away. Visibility and clarity is relative to atmospheric conditions. Midday heat causes heat mirage effect, best viewing is morning and evening, with night viewing also possible. https://youtu.be/wTDiD965A_s SPADRE CAM is live 24/7 and tours SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Pad, the Starship construction area, and the beaches of South Padre Island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqgSVV36wNI *** LATEST SPACEX NEWS https://twitter.com/SpacePadreIsle *** NEW ONLINE STORE! MOST PRODUCTS CUSTOMIZABLE! https://www.zazzle.com/store/spadre *** ROAD CLOSURE UPDATES http://www.cameroncounty.us/space-x/ *** FAA NOTAMS https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html *** WEATHER FORECAST https://www.weather.gov/bro/ *** CHECK OUT OUR FAVORITE ASTRO-NUT, EVERYDAY ASTRONAUT AT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uKrU_WqJ1R2HMTY3LIx5Q STARSHIP CAM is located on South Padre Island, 6 miles away from Boca Chica Launch Pad. Visibility and clarity is relative to atmospheric conditions. DIRECTIONS TO SEE STARSHIP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3yPQkL9qpU SPADRE CAM is located on South Padre Island, 6 miles away from Boca Chica Launch Pad. Visibility and clarity is relative to atmospheric conditions. SUBSCRIBE for frequent updates from SpaceX Boca Chica, launch viewing information and important local insider tips for those traveling to South Padre Island to film or view launches. SPADRE CAM views the SpaceX Starship at the Boca Chica Launch Pad and Starship construction area, and the beaches of South Padre Island. Enjoy free continuous live streams and recordings of all upcoming launches, Starship launch schedules and the latest SpaceX Boca Chica news. Check SPadre Youtube channel for frequent video updates from Boca Chica with closeup views of activity. FIRST TEST LAUNCHES and landings of the SpaceX "Starship" orbital prototype may begin soon! South Padre Island is the closest viewing area for launches, check https://www.SPadre.com for hotels, launch dates and area information. Make plans and book your hotel as soon as launch date is announced, as these will be the largest events by far in SPI history with worldwide interest and massive crowds for this incredible historic milestone in space flight! Check back for more videos of the progress and launch dates of the first Starship and the Boca Chica Spaceport. THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH launches is on South Padre Island. Boca Chica beaches will be closed. The southern tip of SPI is county owned Isla Blanca Beach Park, and is the closest possible viewing area. A new waterfront ampitheater has already been built for public viewing of launches. It is a short walk on the beach from most hotels to Isla Blanca, some beachfront hotels will have excellent views from south facing units. If you are unable to make it for a launch, you can view it live on the Starship Cam. All launches will be recorded and uploaded to this youtube channel. STARSHIP TEST LAUNCH DATES will have little advance notice, only a general testing period of several days, but we will post any information on launch dates on https://www.SPadre.com as soon as it becomes available. Starship Cam hosted by South Padre Surf Company: https://www.southpadresurfcompany.com2019-06-18T22:55:24Z

The stream below is from South Padre Island, North Beach. It shows the beach, and then a live radar.

Hurricane Hanna Cam South Padre Island North Beach Texas WebcamSubscribe for more! Stay tuned and safe!2020-07-25T11:29:52Z

This live stream is also from different webcams at South Padre Island.

Hurricane Hanna 2020 Live From South Padre IslandLive feed from several LIVE HD Cameras on South Padre Island, Texas of the storm surge and landfall of Hurricane Hanna. LIKE MY CONTENT? Please Subscribe Click https://bit.ly/subnh Then ring the BELL so you don't miss a video or LIVE stream! DISCLAIMER: This video description may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. This is to help support my channel and allows me to continue to make videos. Thank you for your support!2020-07-25T14:54:33Z

And this live stream is from Bayou Vista, Texas.

LIVE Tropical Storm Hanna Boats Railroad Birds Galveston TexasLive stream AXIS cam with lots of action facing the Bayou Vista, Texas Low Clearance bridge. BNSF trains frequently pass by the railroad while bay fishing boats cruise the canal. Great bird watching with stunning sunsets.2020-05-13T22:09:59Z

The City of Corpus Christi has a live hurricane dashboard that you can view here or in the embed below.

If youre in the Corpus Christi area, you can view a map of power outage updates from AEP here.

Here are some links to additional webcams:

As of 10 a.m. Central, Hanna was located 75 miles ENE of Port Mansfield, Texas and 85 miles SE of Corpus Christi, Texas,according to the NOAA. It has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and is moving west or 270 degrees at 7 mph. Minimum central pressure is 978 MB or 28.88 inches.

NHC noted:

At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the center of the eye of Hurricane Hanna was located by reconnaissance aircraft and NOAA Doppler weather radars near latitude 27.1 North, longitude 96.3 West. Hanna is moving toward the west near 7 mph (11 km/h), and this motion should continue through this morning. A gradual turn toward the west-southwest is expected by late afternoon and tonight, and that motion should continue through Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of Hanna should make landfall along the Texas coast within the hurricane warning area by late afternoon or early this evening.

Data from the NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft and Doppler weather radars indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 mph (130 km/h) with higher gusts. Some further strengthening is possible before Hanna makes landfall later today. Rapid weakening is expected after Hanna moves inland.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the centerand tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles(150 km).

Reports from the NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the minimumcentral pressure is 978 mb (28.88 inches).

Hanna could produce 6 to 12 inches of rain with some isolated amounts up to 18 inches through Sunday night in south Texas and into some Mexican states. The upper Texas coast and Louisiana coasts might see three to five inches of rain. There is also concern for storm surges in some areas.

Read more from the original source:

Hurricane Hanna: Live Webcams & Streams to Watch Landfall - Heavy.com

Starship and Super Heavy would be the biggest launch system in history.

Elon Musk has said that SpaceXs latest Starship prototype may fly for the first time this week, as the company continues its efforts to get the ambitious spacecraft up and running ahead of planned flights to the Moon and Mars.

Starship is SpaceXs proposed spacecraft to transport up to 100 humans at a time or maybe more to the Red Planet. The company has been rapidly building prototypes of the giant steel rocket at a test site in Boca Chica, Texas, with the goal of eventually finding a design that works.

Multiple iterations have come and gone so far, with several explosions along the way. But in a tweet yesterday, Tuesday, 21 July, Musk said the latest version SN5, or serial number 5 will attempt to fly later this week. That will be preceded by a static fire test at some point.

The SpaceX CEO did not go into any more details, but its thought this will be a hop test up to an altitude of 150 meters. That would be comparable to the companys flight of its Starhopper prototype last year but this will be the first flight of a full-size Starship prototype.

According to Business Insider, SpaceX received an FAA licence for suborbital flights in May this year, meaning Starship prototypes could later fly up to tens of kilometers above the ground before coming back to land safely on landing legs.

The final Starship design will launch atop a reusable Super Heavy booster. Together the two vehicles will use 41 of SpaceXs innovative Raptor engines, towering a combined 120 meters above the ground bigger than any rocket in history. Starship, for its part, measures 55 meters tall.

Ultimately the company is hoping to launch Starship to space for the first time in the coming year, with an uncrewed mission to Mars in 2022 followed by a first human launch to Mars in 2024. That is an ambitious timeline that has left some sceptical, but crucial to getting near that goal will be getting these full-size prototypes flying as soon as possible.

SpaceX is also in a competition with three other ventures the Blue Origin-led National Team and Dynetics for a NASA contract to conduct a crewed lunar landing in 2024. This contract is the first time NASA has really taken Starship seriously, a major show of support for the spacecraft.

Musk, however, has said previously that he believes Starship and Super Heavy could entirely replace the companys existing fleet of Falcon rockets. Getting a full-size prototype flying would be a major step towards that goal.

Continued here:

SpaceX May Fly A First Full-Size Prototype Of Its Mars Starship Rocket Later This Week Says Musk - Forbes

Do they make stainless steel belt buckles?

Tesla has picked Austin, Texas, as the site of its next U.S. factory, which it aims to have up and running by the end of next year. The facility will produce the Model 3, Model Y and, perhaps most importantly, the Cybertruck.

Texas is the countrys largest market for pickups, so building the Cybertruck there may give it some extra cred on the open range. Currently, the only other pickups built in the Lone Star state are the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra.

Tesla is aiming to offer the Cybertruck at a starting price of $39,990 for a single-motor, two-wheel-drive model with 250 miles of range, while the top of the line $69,990 tri-motor all-wheel-drive will be able to go 500 miles and tow over 14,000 pounds, according to the automaker.

TESLA SETS ELECTRIC CAR RANGE RECORD WITH 402-MILE MODEL S

Tesla had confirmed that it has received over 250,000 reservations for the pickup in the days after it was revealed last fall, while some independent estimates put the current total above 500,000.

HERE'S WHAT THE TESLA LOGO REALLY MEANS

The Cybertruck is being engineered with a unibody design that will be constructed with the same stainless steel being used for the Starship rocket being built by Tesla CEO Elon Musks SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas, with plans to eventually fly it to Mars.

Musk Tweeted on Tuesday that the type of stainless steel alloy being used for both the rocket and the Cybertruck, which is allegedly bulletproof against small arms, is being changed from 301 stainless to a variation of 304L. He didnt elaborate as to why, but 304L is typically more corrosion resistant than 301.

Tesla will also build its Semi tractor at the Texas plant.

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Read more:

The Tesla Cybertruck will be built in Texas and is getting an interplanetary update - Fox News

Things arent going so great on the planet Earth right now, and travel isnt easy, but if youve got a bit of cash, you can really get away. A number of well-capitalized companies have been hacking away at Space Tourism, or commercially flying regular people into space, and now its on the verge of reality. Thanks to a great deal of financial and human capital put in by organizations ranging from NASA to billionaire-backed startups, we are inches close to turning it into reality.

Space vacation packages come in a wide variety. For beginners, British billionaire Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic is offering a 1.5-hour joy ride to the edge of the Earths atmosphere. NASA is opening the International Space Station to private citizens. And, for hard-core space explorers, Elon Musks SpaceX has promised to fly you to the Moon (for a hefty price) in as soon as 2023.

Below weve put together the latest statuses of various space tourism projects in the market.

Destination: Edge of the Earths atmosphere

Price: $250,000 per person

Earliest available time: late 2020

Virgin Galactics supersonic spaceplane, VSS Unity, will fly passengers up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level, which is right above the Krmn Line dividing the Earths atmosphere and outer space. From there, passengers will get a stunning view of the Earths curvature. Then, during the descent, they will experience several minutes of weightlessness like a true astronaut.

VSS Unity has completed two successful human test flights and is in its final stage of testing. Virgin Galactic plans to fly its first paying customer, possibly the companys founder Richard Branson himself, as soon as this year.

Destination: The edge of the Earths atmosphere

Price: $200,000 and $300,000

Earliest available time: unknown

Blue Origin, owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, is developing a suborbital tourism program similar to Virgin Galactics but using a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing (VTVL) rocket-capsule system called New Shepard. The New Shepard spacecraft has successfully flown above the Krmn Line and returned to the ground.

Blue Origin had planned to launch its first human test flight in 2019 and begin selling commercial tickets (reportedly priced between $200,000 and $300,000) soon after. Yet, the plan was quietly canceled last year. The company has yet to make public statements about new test and rollout dates.

Destination: International Space Station

Price: $35,000 per night

Earliest available time: late 2020

In June 2019, NASA unveiled its grand plan to allow private citizens to fly to the International Space Station under the agencys Commercial Crew Program. Passengers will fly in either SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft or Boeings Starlinervessel.

The Crew Dragon recently completed its final crewed test and is ready to be deployed for commercial missions. NASA has said it will allow up to two private trips to the ISS a year, each lasting up to 30 days. The total cost of the trip would be around $50 million per person, the agency said.

Destination: the Moon

Price: Not a trivial amount

Earliest available time: 2023

Elon Musks rocket company SpaceX has the ultimate space vacation offering: a personalized trip to the Moon. The package has one committing customer so far: Japanese fashion mogul Yusaku Maezawa, who signed up for the trip in September 2018 and has put down an undisclosed deposit. Musk has said the full ticket price is not a trivial amount.

SpaceX is currently building prototypes for the rocket (Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) rocket) and spaceship (Starship) that will fly Maezawa to the Moon. If all tests go according to the plan, a human launch could take place as early as 2023.

Original post:

Every Space Tourism Vacation You Can Book Right Now, If Youre Rich - Observer

Ramirez

A traffic stop by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper resulted in the rescue of a previously reported 14-year-old runaway child by the Brownsville Police Department, according to a news release.

Jesus Arroyo Ramirez, a 22-year-old Mexican national, was arrested and charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle, failure to identify and harboring a runaway child all misdemeanors.

On Tuesday, a DPS trooper attempted to stop a vehicle traveling north on US 77 and Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville for a traffic violation.

According to the release, the driver, identified as Ramirez, didnt stop, which initiated a vehicle pursuit through city and residential streets which resulted in Ramirez crashing into a home.

With the assistance of the Brownsville police, the 14-year-old girl was released into the custody of a legal guardian after the trooper determined through investigative techniques, according to officials, the female passenger was reported as a runaway.

According to officials, an investigation into the relationship between Ramirez and the child passenger is being conducted with assistance from the Texas Rangers Division.

Excerpt from:

Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child - Brownsville Herald

Ramirez

A traffic stop by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper resulted in the rescue of a previously reported 14-year-old runaway child by the Brownsville Police Department, according to a news release.

Jesus Arroyo Ramirez, a 22-year-old Mexican national, was arrested and charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle, failure to identify and harboring a runaway child all misdemeanors.

On Tuesday, a DPS trooper attempted to stop a vehicle traveling north on US 77 and Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville for a traffic violation.

According to the release, the driver, identified as Ramirez, didnt stop, which initiated a vehicle pursuit through city and residential streets which resulted in Ramirez crashing into a home.

With the assistance of the Brownsville police, the 14-year-old girl was released into the custody of a legal guardian after the trooper determined through investigative techniques, according to officials, the female passenger was reported as a runaway.

According to officials, an investigation into the relationship between Ramirez and the child passenger is being conducted with assistance from the Texas Rangers Division.

Read the original post:

Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child - Monitor

Class: $55 | Kit: $65

This dreamy art studio in Denton has sold 50,000 of their beloved creative kits to date; now, theyre offering online classes to accompany them. Once you register for this hand lettering course, youll have lifetime access to online resources like video demos and written guides.

Class and Kit (Local Pick-Up): $55 | Class and Kit (Shipped): $65

Oil and Cottons approachable art classes will help you master the basics of watercolor technique. Each workshop has a different project; you might paint a rose garden, a Mediterranean landscape, or a Monstera leaf, to name a few.Have your kit shipped or pick it up at Oil and Cottons Oak Cliff location.

Class and Supplies (Free Delivery): $100

Luxury floral designer RAOFACTOR is now offering intimate virtual courses for just 10 students at a time. Youll receive 30 stems of bright blossoms and greenery to craft an avant-garde arrangement in real time over Zoom.

Class: $45 | Kit: $45

Gouache (rhymes with squash, if you were wondering) is like a combination of watercolor and acrylic, and Wildflower Art Studio says its a great medium for beginners. For your first project, youll paint a monarch butterfly that will be pretty enough to frame, whether youre a painting newbie or seasoned crafter.

Class and Supplies (Local Pickup): $75+

The Iman Projects workshops were created to give everyone a seat at the table, and though the events are now virtual, founder Bree Clarke still manages to foster a sense of community via video call. Sign up for a Wine and Design class to receive everything you need to design a bold bouquet, as well as a bottle of Texas-made Boca Chica Wine. Keep an eye out for The Iman Projects new national workshops. The suppliesincluding the live flowerscan be mailed, so the class makes a great gift for far-away family members.

Kit: $40+

Craft your own soy wax candle with these DIY candle kits. Choose from several types of vessels, from matte to metallic, then select an essential oil blend to add fragrance. Want to take your DIY-ing to the next level? The company also offers a deluxe starter kit with 12 vessels, 5 scents, and 5 pounds of wax.

See original here:

6 Virtual Creative Classes to Try This Summer - D Healthcare Daily

SpaceX hopes to launch prototypes of its Starship rocket more than a dozen miles high within the next seven months, according to afiling with the Federal Communications Commission.

Elon Musk, the aerospace company's founder and CEO, is urgently racing to develop Starship, a fully reusable rocket system that is designed to one day land on the moon for NASA and take up to 100 people to Mars at a time.

In early June shortly after SpaceX successfully launched two astronauts to the International Space Station using a different rocket Musk reportedly urged employees to shift their focus to Starship. Aerial photos also show a frenzied increase in activity at the company's rocket development site in Boca Chica, Texas.

Now the company has filed a request to the FCC to use certain radio frequencies while launching Starship prototypes up to 12 1/2 miles, or 20 kilometers, into the air. The filing, posted Thursday, specifies that launch operations would occur between August 18 and February 18.

The Federal Aviation Administration on May 28 awarded SpaceX a launch license for suborbital flights. SpaceX can't feasibly fly its Starship prototypes, however, until the FCC grants it permission to use frequencies required to track and communicate with them. (The FCC is typically quick to grant such permission to SpaceX.)

An aerial photo of SpaceX's emerging Starship rocket factory in Boca Chica, South Texas, taken June 17. RGV Aerial Photography

A full-scale 16-story Starship prototype has yet to fly, though a previous and shorter version of the rocket known as Starhopper successfully launched 500 feet high and landed in 2019.

Since then, more advanced yet still early iterations of Starship prototypes have failed and were obliterated during testing, typically when engineers filled the rockets with inert liquid nitrogen to test the limits of their integrity.

During a test-firing of recent Starship prototype called SN4 in Boca Chica on May 29, the vehicle spectacularly exploded. The failure happened the day before the astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley rode the company's Crew Dragon spaceship to the International Space Station with the help of a different SpaceX rocket, Falcon 9. (That launcher successfully flew 85 missions before sending Behnken and Hurley into space.)

SpaceX's Starship SN4 prototype exploding after a static fire test on May 29. LabPadre/YouTube

Such a string of failures, however, is anything but unexpected, as SpaceX saw with the development of core technologies for its Falcon 9 system. Musk has also said the company may need to build about 20 large Starship prototypes before SpaceX can attempt to launch one into orbit.

Musk confirmed on June 4 that he still hoped to launch the first crew to Mars in a Starship vehicle in mid-2024 ostensibly as the start of an effort to populate the red planet.

Though SpaceX is licensed to launch suborbital rockets from Boca Chica, the Border Report recently revealed that the company would face a new environmental analysis with the FAA before flying prototypes to orbit.

Business Insider requested details about the nature and timing of that assessment from the FAA on July 9, and an agency representative acknowledged receipt of our questions. The FAA, however, has yet to provide answers to the inquiries.

Have a story or inside information to share about the spaceflight industry?Send Dave Mosher an email atdmosher+tips@businessinsider.comor a Twitter direct message at@davemosher. More secure communication options arelisted here.

This story has been updated.

Link:

SpaceX asks the FAA to launch Starship prototype to 20 kilometers - Business Insider - Business Insider