Tesla's TSLA, -5.00% market capitalization is nearing $300 billion. Its now the largest car maker in the world, even larger than Toyota Motor Corp. TM, -0.31%, which produced almost 9 million cars in 2019 and has a market capitalization of around $175 billion.

Tesla stock is trading at 45 times very rosy and improbable 2024 earnings. Teslas market cap implies that investors believe that production will go up more than 20-fold from the 400,000 cars a year it currently produces to 10 million cars.

Bondholders take a decidedly different view of Tesla. As the stock-market valuation of Tesla races to the moon, its debt rating is earthbound. Tesla, the worlds largest automaker, gets a Caa1 rating from Moodys Investors Service for its senior unsecured debt, while S&P Global gives Tesla a B- credit rating. Put simply, Teslas bonds are considered junk. (By comparison, Toyota is rated A+, GM GM, -1.83% is rated BBB).

Read: Teslas stock is forming a bubble and new buyers should buckle up for a crash

Plus: 7 risks for Teslas stock that Robinhood traders would be wise to heed

When I wrote a 37-page serieson Tesla I opened it with this quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald: The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. An analysis of Tesla and the automotive industry today requires holding a lot of opposing ideas.

I have made the analogy that the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to electric motors is akin to the transition from dumbphones to smartphones. Its a domain shift. So maybe this will bring higher margins for Tesla, as happened for Apple AAPL, +0.02% with the iPhone. Unlike other car makers, Tesla is vertically integrated: It manufactures most of the components that go into its cars (including seats); thus it gains from the economies of scale.

Also, software plays a bigger role in a Tesla than in a traditional car. There is self-driving, over-the-air updates, and an iPad-like interface that powers all the controls, for starters. So if advanced software helps Tesla get higher margins than traditional car companies, it in fact may not have to make as many cars to get to Toyotas profitability. Bulls would even argue that self-driving alone may send Teslas margins soaring. Ill pour cold water on that argument: Full autonomous driving is a good decade away.

It will take years, maybe even a decade, for Tesla to produce enough cars to justify its valuation.

Most importantly, going from 400,000 cars to many millions a year is neither easy nor cheap. The market confuses Tesla with Silicon Valley tech companies. Yes, Tesla is much more a technology company than your typical ICE car company is. It creates its own software and even the microprocessor that powers self-driving, but it still cannot escape the reality that it has to bend a lot of metal to produce its electric cars.

Unlike Facebook FB, -0.53% , which a decade ago could increase its user base 10- or- 20-fold by spending a few hundred million dollars on data centers, Tesla will require an incredible amount of capital to increase production many-fold. To produce fewer than half a million cars, as it does today, Tesla needed a $25 billion investment in property, plants, and equipment. This is where bits meet atoms and face financial gravity. Tesla is barely breaking even today and will need to raise and invest hundreds of billions of dollars to increase production enough to grow into its current valuation.

Then there is an element of time. Tesla has been stuck at producing 90,000 cars for the last eight quarters. It can only blame the coronavirus for a quarter or two. Getting to an annual production of even a few million cars will require time a lot of time. A lot of dirt has to be moved, permits issued, equipment installed, people hired. It will take years, maybe even a decade, for Tesla to produce enough cars to justify its valuation. Todays market valuation assumes Tesla is already there that the capital has been raised and spent and that it cost nothing.

So, how does one invest in this overvalued market? Our strategy is spelled outin this fairly lengthyarticle.

Vitaliy Katsenelson is chief investment officer atInvestment Management Associatesin Denver, which owns Tesla put options in client portfolios. Katsenelson is the author ofThe Little Book of Sideways Markets(Wiley).

More: Longtime Elon Musk critic has a strong message for investors looking to bet against Tesla

Also read: Teslas earnings on tap: Will a loss end its blowout stock rally?

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Tesla is like a SpaceX rocket to stock investors, but the car makers bond holders are down to earth - MarketWatch

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts slated for August 2 return

The NASA astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station in SpaceX's first crewed flight in May are expected to return to Earth on Aug. 2 after spending two months in orbit, a NASA spokesman said on Friday. U.S. astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will gear up for the final benchmark test of SpaceX's so-called Demo-2 mission: a coordinated splashdown somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean that will cap NASA's first crewed mission from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

Mexican cave artifacts show earlier arrival of humans in North America

Stone tools unearthed in a cave in central Mexico and other evidence from 42 far-flung archeological sites indicate people arrived in North America - a milestone in human history - earlier than previously known, upwards of 30,000 years ago. Scientists said on Wednesday they had found 1,930 limestone tools, including small flakes and fine blades that may have been used for cutting meat and small points that may have been used as spear tips, indicating human presence at the Chiquihuite Cave in a mountainous region of Mexico's Zacatecas state.

China launches independent, unmanned Mars mission

China launched an unmanned probe to Mars on Thursday in its first independent mission to visit another planet, a bid for global leadership in space and display of its technological prowess and ambition. At 12:41 p.m. (0441 GMT), China's largest carrier rocket, the Long March 5 Y-4, blasted off with the probe from Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the southern island province of Hainan.

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Science News Roundup: SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts slated for August 2 return; Mexican cave artifacts show earlier arrival of humans in...

SpaceX has stacked a Starship nosecone section to its full height for the first time in almost a year, featuring an upgraded design that could soon support an ambitious series of flight tests.

Back in August 2019, SpaceX first began stacking the nose section of Starship Mk1 the first full-scale prototype of any kind. It became clear a few months later that Starship Mk1 was more of a rough proof of concept than a full-fidelity test article, but it still became the first (and only, so far) Starship to reach its full ~50m (~160 ft) height. After serving as a centerpiece during CEO Elon Musks September 2019 Starship presentation, SpaceX removed the nose and attempted to test the Mk1 tank section itself, ultimately destroying the ship.

Now eight months distant from Mk1s demise, SpaceXs Starship R&D program has entered the prototype mass-production phase. Since January 2020, SpaceX has built five upgraded Starship tank sections (and tested three to destruction), built and tested four stout test tanks, and completed at least 4-5 new nosecone prototypes. For the first time since nosecone production began several months ago, one of the noses has finally been stacked to its full height atop five steel rings.

At the moment, SpaceX is hard at work preparing Starship SN5 for its first wet dress rehearsals (WDRs) with methane and oxygen propellant and either one or several Raptor engine static fire tests. If successful, SpaceX will quickly move to flight test preparations, readying SN5 for a nominal ~150m (~500 ft) hop, though the company is technically no longer restricted to that ceiling. For such a low-altitude test, aerodynamic features like a nosecone or flaps serve no functional purpose, meaning that SN5 is unlikely to ever receive those additions.

Roughly two miles west of the coastal launch and test site SN5 is stationed at, SpaceX has already more or less finished Starship SN6, although the newest ships fate is unclear. Pictured above on July 10th, the task of stacking an even newer ship (likely SN8) may already be underway. Last month, SpaceX tested a new test tank built out of a different steel alloy said by CEO Elon Musk to be theoretically superior. Two cryogenic pressure tests seemingly confirmed that suspicion, proving that 304L stainless steel fails more gracefully than 301 while still offering similar strength at the pressures Starships operate at. The SN7 test tank was built and tested around the same time as SpaceX was finishing up SN6, implying that the ship was almost certainly built out of 301 steel.

If 304L really is the way forward for future Starship prototypes, the next step will be building an entire ship out of the steel alloy and performing a full cryogenic proof test and wet dress rehearsal. Given that SN5 and SN6 are likely identical (or nearly so), SN6 may have been made redundant before the ship even left the factory floor.

This is all to say that its a bit of a mystery where the first upgraded nosecone will find itself in the coming weeks. Like SN6 or SN7, it could either be redundant on arrival, built as practice, or both. It could also be the first nosecone installed on a flightworthy Starship prototype. Its unlikely but not impossible that SN5 survives its static fires and first hops and is modified to support three Raptors and aerodynamic control surfaces, while SN8 and SN9 are more probable candidates for the first high-altitude, high-velocity test flight(s). SpaceX has at least 3-5 more Starship nosecones strewn about its Boca Chica factory, though, so odds are good that the first new nose section to reach full height wont be the first to take flight.

For now, Starship SN5 (sans nose) is scheduled to attempt its first wet dress rehearsal (WDR) no earlier than July 16th. If successful, a static fire could follow a few days after that and a hop test another few days later.

Check out Teslaratis newslettersfor prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceXs rocket launch and recovery processes.

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SpaceX stacks Starship nose section for the first time in months - Teslarati

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.

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Need to Get Away? Heres Every Space Tourism Vacation You Can Book Right Now - Observer

Scientists from Edinburgh University are set to blast an experiment into space on a SapceX rocket, to see if tiny microbes could one day help us to mine asteroids.

The experiment, called BioAsteroid, sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. It will see tiny microbes grown inside an incubator on the International Space Station for three weeks.

The science team, comprised of boffins from Edinburgh University and private company Kayser Space, want to find out what effect low gravity will have on the bacteria.

The idea is that when the microbes (called Sphingomonas desiccabilis and Penicillium simplicissimum) are placed in a liquid they can feed off of a rock surface.

This causes the rock to breakdown forming soil or releasing valuable elements in a process dubbed biomining.

The Science Verification Test for BioAsteroid will take place later this month in Edinburgh, where the microbes will be grown for the first time on the actual flight culturing hardware.

The experiment is scheduled to be launched to the ISS with SpaceX in October 2020.

Prof. Charles Cockell, University of Edinburgh, said: By studying biofilm formation of these organisms on the asteroidal material in microgravity, BioAsteroid will investigate how space conditions ultimately affect microbe-mineral interactions, addressing questions on the biochemistry of the organisms, biofilm morphology and structure, fungal attachment and the ability of the microbes to break down rock, a key process for the future use of microorganisms in space exploration, including the mining of asteroids.

David Zolesi, Kayser Space Managing Director, added: Executing the entire BioAsteroid project within one year, the UK has positioned itself at the forefront of two activities that will define the future of the commercial exploitation of space: asteroid mining and fast-track access to microgravity.

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Edinburgh scientists to blast asteroid-eating bacteria into orbit on a SpaceX rocket - Edinburgh Live

Astronauts return to space from U.S. soil

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (L) and Bob Behnken, who flew the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, brief mission controllers about their experience in the new vehicle on June 1. Photo courtesy of NASA

Newly arrived NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, front row from left to right, pose for a photo with the rest of the crew aboard the International Space Station on May 31. On the back row, from left to right are Roscosmos flight engineer Anatoly Ivanishin, NASA Commander Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos engineer Ivan Vagner. Photo courtesy of NASA

SpaceX's Dragonship Endeavor, with Behnken and Hurley on board, docks with the International Space Station at 10:16 am EST on May 31. The Crew Dragon's nose cone is open, revealing the spacecraft's docking mechanism that would connect to the Harmony module's forward international docking adapter. Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at 3:22 p.m. May 30 with Hurley and Behnken aboard the first manned Crew Dragon spacecraft from Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

The Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS as part of the NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA | License Photo

Spectators on Cocoa Beach, Fla., watch as Behnken and Hurley lift off from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39-A onboard SpaceX Demo-2 Falcon 9 and the Crew Dragon to the ISS. Photo By Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

Behnken gives a thumbs-up. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket stand on Launch Complex 39A on May 29. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

NASA and SpaceX were attempting the launch a second time after the launch was scrubbed on May 27 due to weather. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken depart the checkout building. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

The Falcon 9 vents fuel after NASA and SpaceX management called a hold to the launch on May 27 due to weather. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

Hans Koenigsmann, vice president for build and flight reliability at SpaceX, looks at a monitor showing a live feed of the rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the pad during the countdown on May 27. The launch was scrubbed with only minutes to go. Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA | License Photo

Spectators leave Cocoa Beach after the launch was canceled. Photo By Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

Behnken (L) and Hurley are seen in the crew access arm at Launch Complex 39A on May 27. They were strapped into the Crew Dragon capsule when weather forced a postponement. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

From left to right, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, second lady Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence, first lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Marillyn Hewson, CEO of Lockheed Martin, Mike Hawes, vice president of human space exploration and Orion program manager at Lockheed Martin Space, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stop by the Artemis I capsule during a tour of the Armstrong operations building. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

Trump participates in a SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 launch briefing following the departure of NASA astronauts to board a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 27. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, prepare to depart the operations building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

From left to right, SpaceX owner and chief engineer Elon Musk, Bridenstine, Mike Pence and Karen Pence applaud the astronauts as they head to the spacecraft. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken give their families virtual hugs as they prepare for the Demo-2 mission launch. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

Hurley boards a Tesla Model X for the ride to the launch area. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket lie horizontally on Complex 39A on May 26. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

The Vehicle Assembly Building is seen at sunset as preparations continue for the NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission on May 25. Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA | License Photo

In this black-and-white infrared image, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad. Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA | License Photo

This is a view of the crew access arm in position with the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 24. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

Behnken and Hurley are seen on a monitor showing inside the Crew Dragon capsule at Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal May 23. Photo by SpaceX/UPI | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken participate in a dress rehearsal for launch at Kennedy Space Center on May 23. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

Behnken rehearses putting on his SpaceX spacesuit in the astronaut crew quarters. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

Hurley and Behnken return to the Armstrong building from Launch Complex 39A after completing the dress rehearsal. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

Norm Knight, deputy director of Flight Operations at NASA's Johnson Space Center (L), and Steve Stich, deputy manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program (R), monitor the countdown during the dress rehearsal. Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken depart the Armstrong building for Launch Complex 39A. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI | License Photo

NASA and SpaceX managers participate in a flight readiness review for the upcoming Demo-2 launch in the Operations Support Building II at Kennedy Space Center on May 21. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled out of the horizontal integration facility at Kennedy Space Center as preparations continue on May 21 for the Demo-2 mission. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

The rocket is raised into a vertical position on the launch pad as preparations continue for the mission. Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA | License Photo

From left to right, Behnken and Hurley pose with Bridenstine and Cabana after the astronauts' arrival at the space center in Florida on May 20. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

The two astronauts arrive to be the first crew to launch from the Kennedy Space Center on the SpaceX Crew Demo spacecraft. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

Hurley speaks to the media following his arrival at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft arrives at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, transported from the company's processing facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 15. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the Crew-1 mission for NASA's Commercial Crew Program undergoes processing inside the clean room at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

Behnken (L) and Hurley successfully completed a fully integrated test of Crew Dragon's critical flight hardware at a SpaceX processing facility on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 30. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

NASA and SpaceX completed an end-to-end demonstration of the teams' ability to safely evacuate crew members from the fixed service structure during an emergency situation at Launch Complex 39A on April 3. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft undergoes final processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

Hurley examines the critical flight hardware during the test on March 30. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

Hurley (R) and Behnken participate in SpaceX's flight simulator. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

SpaceX teams executed a full simulation of launch and docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, with Hurley (R) and Behnken participating in SpaceX's flight simulator on March 19 and 20. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule completes acoustic testing in Florida. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

Hurley (L) and Behnken stand near Launch Pad 39A during a dress rehearsal ahead of the SpaceX uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test at Kennedy Space Center on January 17. In the background, the company's Falcon 9 rocket is topped by the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The flight test will demonstrate the spacecraft's escape capabilities. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

Bridenstine (L) and Musk converse at Kennedy Space Center's launch control center while awaiting liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft on the uncrewed in-flight abort test on January 19. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

Hurley (R) and Behnken don SpaceX spacesuits in the astronaut crew quarters during a dress rehearsal. Photo by Kim Shiflett/NASA | License Photo

The test, which did not have NASA astronauts aboard, demonstrated Crew Dragon's ability to reliably carry crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency on ascent. Photo courtesy of SpaceX | License Photo

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket boosts the Crew Dragon spacecraft for NASA on a launch abort test from Complex 39A at Kennedy on January 19. SpaceX conducted the test as a final measure to assure safety for future crewed missions to the ISS. Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

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Astronauts to tackle another spacewalk on extended SpaceX mission - UPI News

Stormy weather on Wednesday grounded a history-making journey to house that will have marked the primary launch of NASA astronauts from US soil in practically a decade.

Non-public rocket firm SpaceX had deliberate to ship Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the Worldwide Area Station from Floridas Kennedy Area Heart, with founder Elon Musk and President Trump wanting on.

However about 17 minutes earlier than blastoff, thunderclouds and the specter of lightning stopped the present.

The flight which might have marked the primary time a non-public firm despatched people to house was rescheduled for Saturday.

No launch for as we speak security for our crew members @Astro_Doug and @AstroBehnken is our high precedence, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted.

Thunderstorms had threatened a delay for a lot of the day, and the environment finally turned so electrically charged that the astronauts risked getting the ship struck by a bolt of lightning.

The house vets had been scheduled to trip aboard SpaceXs glossy, new Dragon capsule on high of a Falcon 9 rocket, taking off from the identical launch pad the place Apollo 11 started its journey to the moon in 1969.

However a twister warning was issued moments after they climbed into their capsule.

We might see some raindrops on the home windows and simply figured that no matter it was, was too shut to the launch pad on the time we wanted it not to be, Hurley mentioned after the flight was scrubbed.

Perceive that everyones in all probability just a little bit bummed out. Thats simply a part of the deal.

Each Trump and Vice President Mike Pence had been readily available on the middle in Cape Canaveral to witness the milestone occasion.

Thanks to @NASA and @SpaceX for his or her exhausting work and management. Look ahead to being again with you on Saturday!, Trump tweeted.

Prior to the scrub, Trump had congratulated Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, calling him a good friend of mine for a very long time.

The journey would have put Musk in league with three international locations the U.S., Russia and China whove all despatched astronauts into orbit.

It will have additionally been the primary human launch from U.S. soil since NASA ended its Area Shuttle Program in 2011.

What as we speak is about is reigniting the dream of house and getting individuals fired up concerning the future, Musk had mentioned in a NASA interview, prior to the scrub.

Crowds of spectators often gathered to catch sight of those occasions had been requested to keep house over the coronavirus outbreak.

However NASA estimated 1.7 million individuals had been watching the launch prep on-line in the course of the afternoon.

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SpaceX launch postponed due to bad weather - Gruntstuff

EDITORS NOTE:Launch has been delayed to Saturday, July 11, at 10:54 a.m. EDT (1454 GMT).

SpaceX raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical Tuesday on pad 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, positioning the launch vehicle for a flight Wednesday carrying 57 more Starlink Internet satellites and two commercial Earth-imaging microsatellites for BlackSky.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) launcher was supposed to take off last month, but SpaceX called off a launch attempt June 26. The company said theteam needed additional time for pre-launch checkouts.

In the end, SpaceX delayed the launch 12 days, and the company opted to shuffle order of its launches.

A Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched June 30 from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station a few miles to the south of pad 39A with a U.S. military GPS navigation satellite. The Falcon 9 rocket loaded with the Starlink and BlackSky satellites rolled back to its hangar near pad 39A to await the missions next launch opportunity.

With the Falcon 9 standing atop pad 39A again Tuesday, SpaceXs launch team planned perform final checkouts on the rocket and commence the countdown early Wednesday.

The Falcon 9 will be filled with super-chilled, densified kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants beginning around 35 minutes prior to liftoff, which is timed for precisely 11:59:11 a.m. EDT (1559:11 GMT) Wednesday.

Theres a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather for a midday launch Wednesday, according to the U.S. Space Forces 45th Weather Squadron. Central Florida is in a typical summertime pattern of strong afternoon and evening thunderstorms, but forecasters said Tuesday that the latest computer model runs suggested storms may develop a bit earlier in the day Wednesday.

While the launch windows timeframe is still more favorable than later in the afternoon, some showers and storms moving in from the northwest cannot be ruled out, forecasters wrote. Because of this, the primary concern for the launch window is the cumulus cloud rule and the surface electric field rule.

If the weather conditions cooperate, nine Merlin engines will build up to produce 1.7 million pounds of thrust, driving the Falcon 9 launcher toward the northeast from Floridas Space Coast on the way to an orbit inclined 53 degrees to the equator.

The first stage booster launching Wednesday will make its fifth trip to space. It first flew from the Kennedy Space Center in March 2019 on an unpiloted test flight of SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft, then launched again from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in June 2019 with three Canadian radar observation satellites.

The reusable booster also launched two Starlink missions from Florida earlier this year, according to SpaceX.

The first stages nine engines will fire for around two-and-a-half minutes during launch, then the booster will fall away from the Falcon 9s upper stage. The booster will deploy four titanium grid fins for aerodynamic stability, and then fire three of its engines for a burn to target landing on SpaceXs drone ship Of Course I Still Love You holding position in the Atlantic Ocean around 400 miles (630 kilometers) northeast of Cape Canaveral.

A final burn of the first stages center engine, followed by lowering of the boosters four landing legs, will set up the rocket for touchdown on the floating landing vessel nearly eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff. If the rocket sticks the landing, SpaceX will bring the booster back to Port Canaveral for inspections and refurbishment ahead of another flight.

While the first stage descends back to Earth from the edge of space, the Falcon 9s single-use upper stage will ignite its vacuum-rated Merlin engine to propel the missions 59 satellite payloads into orbit.

The rockets payload fairing, which protects the satellites during the initial phases of launch, will jettison from the Falcon 9 at T+plus 3 minutes, 24 seconds. SpaceXs two fairing recovery boats, named Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief, are on station in the Atlantic Ocean to retrieve the two fairing halves after they fall to Earth under parachutes.

The upper stage will shut down its engine at T+plus 8 minutes, 51 seconds, after reaching a preliminary parking orbit. A second firing of the Merlin upper stage engine more than 47 minutes after liftoff will place the 59 satellites into a near-circular orbitranging as high as an altitude of 249 miles (401 kilometers).

The two BlackSky satellites fastened on top of the 57 Starlink satellites will be the first payloads to deploy from the Falcon 9 rocket at T+plus 61 minutes and T+plus 66 minutes.

The Falcon 9 will next release retention rods holding the Starlink satellites to the rocket, allowing the flat-panel broadband relay stations to fly away from the launch vehicle around 1 hour, 33 minutes, after liftoff,

SpaceXs Starlink network is designed to provide low-latency, high-speed Internet service around the world. SpaceX has launched 538 flat-panel Starlink spacecraft since beginning full-scale deployment of the orbital network in May 2019, making the company the owner of the worlds largest fleet of satellites.

With Wednesdays launch, SpaceX will have delivered 595 Starlink satellites to orbit in the last 14 months.

Each of the flat-panel satellites weighs about a quarter-ton, and are built by SpaceX in Redmond, Washington. Once in orbit, they will deploy solar panels to begin producing electricity, then activate their krypton ion thrusters to raise their altitude to around 341 miles, or 550 kilometers.

SpaceX says it needs 24 launches to provide Starlink Internet coverage over nearly all of the populated world, and 12 launches could enable coverage of higher latitude regions, such as Canada and the northern United States.

The Falcon 9 can loft up to 60 Starlink satellites each weighing about a quarter-ton on a single Falcon 9 launch. But launches with secondary payloads, such as BlackSkys new Earth-imaging satellites, can carry fewer Starlinks to allow the rideshare passengers room to fit on the rocket.

The initial phase of the Starlink network will number 1,584 satellites, according to SpaceXs regulatory filings with the Federal Communications Commission. But SpaceX plans launch thousands more satellites, depending on market demand, and the company has regulatory approval from the FCC to operate up to 12,000 Starlink relay nodes in low Earth orbit.

Elon Musk, SpaceXs founder and CEO, says the Starlink network could earn revenue to fund the companys ambition for interplanetary space travel, and eventually establish a human settlement on Mars.

But astronomers have raised concerns about the brightness of SpaceXs Starlink satellites, and other companies that plan to launch large numbers of broadband satellites into low Earth orbit.

The Starlink satellites are brighter than expected, and are visible in trains soon after each launch, before spreading out and dimming as they travel higher above Earth.

SpaceX introduced a darker coating on a Starlink satellite launched in January in a bid to reduce the amount of sunlight the spacecraft reflects down to Earth. That offered some improvement, but not enough for ultra-sensitive observatories like the U.S government-funded Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will collect all-sky images to study distant galaxies, stars, and search for potentially dangerous asteroids close to Earth.

SpaceX launched a satellite June 3 with a new unfolding radio-transparent sunshade to block sunlight from reaching bright surfaces on the spacecraft, such as its antennas.

All Starlink satellites beginning with the launch scheduled for Wednesday will carry the sunshade modification to reduce each spacecrafts optical reflectivity.

BlackSky, based in Seattle, is deploying a fleet of Earth observation satellites designed to monitor changes across Earths surface, feeding near real-time geospatial intelligence data to governments and corporate clients. The companys next two satellites set for launch Wednesday are the first off a new assembly line designed to produce spacecraft at a rate of one to two per month.

The BlackSky satellites set for launch Wednesday are designated Global 7 and Global 8, but they are actually the fifth and sixth operational satellites in the BlackSky fleet.

Scott Herman, BlackSkys chief technology officer, said the company iscomfortable working with SpaceX. Spaceflight Industries, BlackSkys parent company, has arranged rideshare missions on Falcon 9 rockets for other customers, and BlackSkys Global 2 satellite launched on a Falcon 9 flight in 2018.

Weve been working with SpaceX for a long time, Herman said. We do work with others the Indian space agency and Rocket Lab but weve had a pretty deep relationship with SpaceX, and were one of their largest customers outside the U.S. government because of all the different rides weve been brokering.

The BlackSky satellites launching Friday are the first produced by LeoStella, a joint venture between Spaceflight Industries and Thales Alenia Space, a major European satellite manufacturer. LeoStellas production facility is located in Tukwila, Washington, a suburb of Seattle.

Read more about the BlackSky satellites in our earlier story.

The BlackSky spacecraft each weigh around 121 pounds, or 55 kilograms. They have electrothermal propulsion systems that use water as a propellant.

Each of the current generation of BlackSky Global spacecraft can captureup to 1,000 color images per day, with a resolution of about 3 feet (1 meter).

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Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

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SpaceX's next batch of Starlink satellites back on the launch pad - Spaceflight Now

Update July 8th, 12:00PM ET: SpaceX postponed todays launch due to bad weather in the area. The company decided to proceed through the countdown of the launch up until one minute before the planned takeoff in order to collect data from the rocket. A new date for the will be decided soon.

Original Story: Just a week after launching a GPS satellite for the Space Force, SpaceX is back with another launch of its internet-beaming Starlink satellites. The companys Falcon 9 rocket is slated to take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, today, launching 57 Starlink spacecraft as well as two hitchhiking Earth observation satellites from operator BlackSky.

The flight is the latest in SpaceXs ongoing quest to flesh out its proposed massive Starlink constellation, aimed at providing broadband internet connectivity from space. The company has permission to launch nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites from the Federal Communications Commission, a swarm of spacecraft that will beam internet coverage to every point of the globe. After this launch, SpaceX will have launched 595 of its Starlink satellites (though at least one has come out of orbit, while a few others have failed since making it to space).

Todays mission is the second Starlink launch to include another companys satellites along for the ride. Typically, SpaceX has launched its Starlink probes in batches of 60, all by themselves. But on a previous launch in June, SpaceX launched 58 Starlink satellites as well as three tiny imaging satellites from the company Planet. The company Spaceflight, a broker that finds room for satellites on upcoming launches, arranged for the BlackSky satellites to fly on this mission. SpaceX also has its own program to arrange ride-shares on its Falcon 9 rocket, working directly with customers, as it did with the recent Planet ride-share.

The Starlink satellites going up on todays launch will all sport a relatively new feature, too. Theyre equipped with a deployable visor, known as a sunshade, designed to prevent the Suns light from reflecting off of the shiniest parts of the satellites, notably the antennas. The goal is to decrease the overall brightness of the Starlink spacecraft while in orbit so that they appear as dark as possible in the night sky. SpaceX already launched one of these sunshades on a previous Starlink flight in early June. This is the first launch where the entire fleet will carry the visor.

SpaceXs new sunshades are a direct response to concerns that have been raised by the astronomy community about Starlink. After the first launch of SpaceXs satellites, astronomers noticed just how bright the spacecraft appeared in the sky, and scientists grew worried that such a massive constellation of shiny satellites would interfere with their observations of the Universe. To observe distant celestial objects, astronomers often rely on taking long-exposure images of the night sky and a satellite zooming through an image leaves a bright streak that can ruin an observation.

Following discussion with leading astronomy groups, the sunshade is the latest solution SpaceX has come up with. The company tried coating one of its Starlink satellites in early January to make it appear darker; that solution didnt dampen the vehicle enough to allay everyones fears. More changes could be on the horizon, too, such as changing how the satellites are oriented when they reach their final orbits.

SpaceXs Falcon 9 is slated for liftoff at 11:59AM ET out of the companys launchpad at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX is using one of its used rockets for the mission, a Falcon 9 that has flown to space and back four times before. The rocket will attempt to land on one of SpaceXs drone ships in the Atlantic following the launch, potentially enabling the vehicle to fly for the sixth time after today. In June, SpaceX set a new record of landing the same Falcon 9 for a fifth time following a flight; the company could repeat the feat today.

If all goes well, the two BlackSky satellites will deploy first, just over an hour after takeoff. The Starlink satellites will then deploy about 30 minutes after that. Weather is a bit iffy, with just a 60 percent chance that conditions will be favorable for flight. If SpaceX is able to launch today, the companys live stream is set to begin about 15 minutes before takeoff.

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SpaceX delays launch of latest batch of Starlink satellites, with two hitchhiking spacecraft - The Verge

The space projects have been dominated by government bodies until we saw the ambitious companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin diving into this diverse area. These two are the most prominent names in the private space community and are often put on a face-off due to the similarity of its founders in other areas as well.

Owned by two of the most powerful businessmen of all time Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, they have been on the competition radar for their interest in the area of autonomous vehicles. Similarly, in the space segment, while the two companies might look quite similar in its attempts to explore space, the ideology and the approach of these companies vary quite significantly. But one thing cannot be denied that they both are developing large, reusable vehicles capable of carrying people and satellites across space.

While we have often heard about SpaceXs missions and launches over the past few years, Blue Origin does not come out to be so ambitious in gaining traction. In the last two years alone SpaceX has performed 21 launches, representing about 20% of roughly 100 worldwide launches.

Recently it also became the first private company to successfully launch its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into space. It is the first time ever that commercially-developed space vehicles owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA have transported humans into orbit. Musks obsession with exploring Mars and other space is not unknown. Back in 2001, he came up with the idea for Mars Oasis and even pledged a few million dollars for the project.

Blue Origin, on the other hand, has yet to launch anything into orbit. But its ambitions are not too different from SpaceX. Its rocket called the New Glenn is often the talk of the town, and the company is aiming to launch it in 2021. This rocket will be powered by an engine developed by the company itself, called the BE-4. It was secretly found in 2000 by Bezoz but has gained attention only after 2015. It is also working on New Shepard, a vertical takeoff and vertical landing rocket that the company wants to use for human tourism.

In 2018, SpaceX sent an AI-based robot called CIMON, short for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion to the international space station. It was designed to help astronauts perform their work such as scientific experiments. It became the first AI technology to be launched to the space station.

Not just that, the recently launched Falcon 9 rocket also made use of artificial intelligence. It has a sophisticated AI autopilot that steers the cone-shaped Crew Dragon. Once it reaches within 60 feet of the space station, the astronauts then manoeuvre it.

Talking about Blue Origin, Bezos parent company Amazons cloud unit, AWS recently unveiled a new space business segment called Aerospace and Satellite Solutions business segment. With an aim to bring AWS services to space enterprises and satellite industry, it aims to help them with spaceflight operations. It aims to reimagine space system architectures, launch services that process space data on Earth, provide secure, flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient cloud solutions to space missions. It might hardly come as a surprise if Blue Origin tries to benefit from it in the coming future.

Home SpaceX Vs Blue Origin: Who Wins The Space Race

SpaceX has many firsts in its name, for instance, building and sending liquid-fueled rockets in Earths orbit, developing a small launcher, successfully launching, orbiting and recovering spacecraft, developing the cheapest rocket, first private company to send humans into space and more.

Blue Origin, on the other hand, likes to take smaller steps at a time. It has so far developed a suborbital capsule system, acquired the technology of reusable rockets with vertical takeoff and landing, made a two-stage orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn and soon aims to send astronauts to the moon again.

While SpaceX has sent many rocket designs to orbit and recently sent astronauts to space, Blue Origin is working towards it. It has till now flown suborbital rocket flights and is in the early stages of assembling its first rocket capable of reaching orbit. Though there is a visible lag, experts believe that Blue Origin is well set for giving major competition to SpaceX. Especially with Amazons Kuiper project and AWS space unit, it can soon be expected to make a competitive move against SpaceX.

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Srishti currently works as Associate Editor at Analytics India Magazine. When not covering the analytics news, editing and writing articles, she could be found reading or capturing thoughts into pictures. Contact: srishti.deoras@analyticsindiamag.com.

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SpaceX Vs Blue Origin: Who Wins The Space Race - Analytics India Magazine

SpaceXs Falcon 9 spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center on May 30th. This was the first spacecraft to take off from the Kennedy Space Centers pad since the Space Shuttle Program was shut down in 2011.

The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service was on the front lines of this historic event. They provided an in-depth story and personal interviews with those present.

Hordes of people came to watch the historic liftoff, not to mention the thousands that watched it remotely. Among all these people, there was a small group watching with intense eyes, hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. These people were the Air Forces 58th Rescue Squadrons Guardian Angels, out of Nellis Air Force Base.

These Guardian Angels are the Air Forces elite Pararescuemen, better known as PJs. These personnel recovery experts were split up into three Space Flight Support Force teams strategically located at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii to support this very important space mission.

Being a part of this event was a historic tradition for the Pararescue community. As Major Lucas Gagliardi, a member of the 58th Rescue Squadron and director of operations, pointed out, Pararescue has been a part of manned space flight since it began in the 1960s, so to be included in the first team to bring back some of our heritage was a super humbling and awesome experience.

The three teams were tactfully located to respond if an emergency occurred and the mission was forced to abort at any time before the spacecraft linked up with the International Space Station.

The preparation for this special mission was intense. A month before the launch took place, the three teams, comprised of Combat Rescue Officers and PJs, went to Cocoa Beach, Florida to participate in Just-in-Time-Training (JITT) with Detachment 3, a unit attached to the 45th Space Wing, out of Patrick Air Force Base.

Gagliardi summed up the month of intense training: We spent, between 12 to 14 hours daily, working in the basin and getting hands-on training with the capsule. We had a wide variety of instructors from retired Pararescuemen, to pilots, firefighters, doctors, basically the whole gamut of rescue personnel who each brought their unique, capabilities and expertise to train us up for this mission.

He went on to say, If something were to go wrong, we [were] trained to be able to support multiple contingencies and hazards during day or night ops. For example, in all these scenarios we had to be prepared to execute a recovery in the open ocean for up to 72 hours, treating patients until a helicopter arrived or a recovery by a ship of opportunity [sic].

The team at Patrick Air Force Base was staged with HH-60 Pavehawk helicopters and an HC-130 Combat King II. That team was to respond to an incident happening before or shortly after liftoff.

Once the Falcon 9 proceeded on its route, the team at Joint Base Charleston took the watch, accompanied by a C-17 Globemaster III, which could take the Pararescue team anywhere up and down the East Coast to respond to an incident.

On the last leg of the trip, prior to the Falcon 9s arrival to the International Space Station, the third team at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam took over. They had a C-17 at their disposal, which could take them anywhere they needed to go in the Pacific Ocean.

In total, the teams were on call for 24 hours. Thankfully, the space mission went according to plan and the Pararescue teams did not have to put their training to the test.

With this new advent of space travel, the Air Force Pararescuemen community and the 58th Rescue Squadron look forward to further employment, serving space missions into the future.

Major Gagliardi is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the 58th Rescue Squadron. We are sending personnel back to Florida to train and support the recovery of the capsule from this launch, and we will be there to support future launches. This readiness embodies the unique capabilities Guardian Angel Squadrons bring to the Air Force and the country.

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NASA's Guardian Angels: Pararescuemen and the SpaceX launch - SOFREP