Daily Archives: October 24, 2021

This week, a vibrant mixture of supporters and critics voiced their opinions about SpaceXs launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas during virtual town halls input that will be considered as the government decides the companys future in the state. More than one hundred people took the time to give their thoughts during the meetings on Monday and Wednesday, with opinions ranging from effusive praise of the company to concerns over SpaceXs impact on the regions communities and environment.

The lengthy town halls were hosted by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is currently evaluating whether to give SpaceX a license to launch the companys massive new Starship rocket out of Boca Chica. SpaceX has been building and testing Starship prototypes at its launch facility in Boca Chica for the last four years now, but the company wants permission to launch the vehicle into orbit from the area. Such operations require a license from the FAA in order to ensure that orbital launches wont harm nearby people or property.

As part of the licensing process, the FAA conducted an environmental review to assess what kind of effects SpaceXs launches will have on the area. The agency released its findings in what is known as a Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment, or PEA, in September. That release sparked the beginning of a comment period that has been extended until November 1st, where members of the public can give their thoughts on the PEA and bring up any possible issues the FAA might have missed. While the FAA accepts comments in writing, the agency also hosted the town halls this week so that people could give their opinions orally.

SpaceX fans attended the meetings to show their support for the companys efforts. A common theme among the supporters was that while they did not live in Texas or near Boca Chica, they wished to see SpaceX continue working and launching from the area.

I dont live near Texas, I have no stake in this currently, one commenter said. But I would just like to say that SpaceX is doing an amazing job in Texas, and that I would like to see this process move a bit faster.

Im a Georgia resident not representing any organization or special interest group, another commenter said. Im speaking on behalf of my personal capacity as an enthusiastic supporter of SpaceX and a supporter of the human enterprise to push mankinds boundary beyond Earth.

Some fans of the company argued that SpaceX is bringing jobs and economic growth to Brownsville, the city next to Boca Chica, but most talked about being inspired by the company and their belief that Starship work must continue so that humanity can become a multi-planet species a common term used by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. SpaceXs Starship system has yet to carry passengers or reach orbit, but the company hopes to fly people on the vehicle to Mars someday. SpaceX also holds a contract with NASA to develop Starship as a lunar lander that can take astronauts to the surface of the Moon.

Some who identified as residents in the area also expressed support. I love you, SpaceX and I love you, Elon Musk, too, one person who recently moved to the area said during her statement. Another woman living in the area noted that she slowly but surely have watched a rocket rise from the dunes of the beach and its been an honor and a privilege to be able to see something magical created out of this world.

However, plenty of nearby residents were adamantly opposed to SpaceXs plans. Common complaints revolved around access to the nearby beach. Roads are frequently closed in Boca Chica to accommodate major testing and test launches. Theyre not considering us, a resident said. My personal experience having to want to go to the beach and the road is always closed, where they have promised that we will not be affected.

Others denounced the debris that has fallen on the ground during major test failures. One test launch in March ended in an explosion that sprayed chunks of metal and rocket parts across the terrain surrounding the Boca Chica launch site. Apart from that, noise and rumblings from successful launch tests were also a big point of contention.

With these smaller rockets, I dont know how you can say that the noise is in any way acceptable or that the vibrations are in any way acceptable, one resident argued. My house shakes with little rockets, and it sounds like the rocket is coming right over my head. And when they lose these heavy rockets, youre already seeing cracks and certain seismic issues having to do in South Padre Island.

Supporters had their own interpretations of the intense noise. Regarding the sonic booms and the noises caused by SpaceX operations, they should be met with a consideration that the shaking of your chest is a positive thing, as SpaceXs operations not only inspire hope in so many across this nation and the world [but are] propelling humanity on a course of togetherness and prosperity, one supporter said.

Critics representing environmental groups joined the calls to express concerns about SpaceX construction and operations harming the surrounding wetlands and endangered species, including birds called plovers that nest in the area. Others also worried about the vague nature of SpaceXs plans to build a natural gas plant in the area to provide methane for the rockets; without details, they say the impacts of a plant are difficult to assess. In response, supporters argued that Cape Canaveral, Florida home of the USs busiest spaceport also operates near a wildlife preserve.

A lot of critics demanded that the FAA conduct a second environmental impact statement, or EIS, which the agency already did for SpaceXs Boca Chica site in 2014. However, the FAA conducted that review when SpaceX originally planned to fly its smaller Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets from the area, with up to 12 planned commercial launches a year. Starship is substantially bigger than SpaceXs other rockets and still has years of development ahead. The FAA says the company plans to fly Starship up to 20 times a year during flight tests in the early years of development.

The FAA says it will weigh all comments equally, including the ones submitted in writing. After evaluating all of the feedback, the FAA will respond and incorporate them before publishing a final PEA sometime after the comment period closes on November 1st. The agency could release a finding of no significant impact, or FONSI, for SpaceXs launch site, before continuing on with the launch licensing process. Or the FAA could decide to conduct another EIS, a choice that would certainly prolong SpaceXs plans to conduct an orbital launch from Boca Chica as soon as possible.

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Critics and supporters come out in force to discuss SpaceXs plans to launch from South Texas - The Verge

Starship prototype SN15 returns for a landing on May 5, 2021 after a high-altitude flight test.

SpaceX

Between Elon Musk's two largest companies, investors and experts have a long-term favorite.

Most "institutional investors and industry experts" surveyed by Morgan Stanley expect SpaceX to become more valuable than Tesla and see it as a more attractive investment.

"The majority of our clients (by survey and client discussions) believe SpaceX could ultimately command a higher valuation and significance than even Tesla," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note Tuesday.

Tesla has a market value of $858 billion. SpaceX reached a valuation of $100.3 billion after a secondary share sale, CNBC reported earlier this month.

Morgan Stanley issued the survey about Musk's companies with two questions: "Which do you think is a more attractive investment from here?" and "Which do you think has the potential to be a more valuable company over the long term?"

Out of 32 responses, 63% of those Morgan Stanley surveyed answered SpaceX to both questions.

"From our investor conversations, the sentiment on SpaceX has increased substantially along with the company's valuation in the private market," Jonas said.

Jonas said that "investors are beginning to appreciate the potentially wide-ranging use-cases for SpaceX's reusable launch architecture across communications, transportation, earth observation and other space-related domains."

SpaceX is "clearly seen" as the "Apex Player" in the global space industry, Jonas said. The sentiment shows in its soaring valuation, which makes it the second-most valuable private company in the world, according to CB Insights.

The company's valuation has spiked in the last few years as SpaceX has raised billions to fund work on two capital-intensive projects: Starship and Starlink.

Starlink isthe company's planto build an interconnected internet networkwith thousands of satellites,known in the space industry as a constellation. The project is designed to deliver high-speed internet to consumers anywhere on the planet.

SpaceX has launched 1,740 Starlink satellites to date. The networkhas more than 100,000 users in 14 countrieswho are participating in a public beta. Service is priced at $99 a month.

Starship is the massive, next-generation rocketSpaceX is developing to launch cargo and people on missions to the moon and Mars. The company is testing prototypes at a facility in southern Texas and has flown multiple short test flights.

Reaching orbit is the next step in testing the rocket. SpaceX is awaiting regulatory approval for its next launch.

"In our view, having access to nearly unlimited sources of capital will be an extremely important part of the narrative around building the space economy," Jonas added.

Morgan Stanley, in a separate note Monday, also said that "more than one client" has suggested that Musk may become the first trillionaire, because of SpaceX.

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SpaceX expected to become more valuable than Tesla, Morgan Stanley survey finds - CNBC

Multiple private space companies want to operate commercial businesses taking tourists into space. One of those companies is called Space Adventures, and it planned to launch a mission sometime between late-2021 and mid-2022. Space Adventures had a reservation with SpaceX using Crew Dragon for its tourist mission.

However, Space Adventures has announced that it has canceled plans to fly tourists on a high-altitude Crew Dragon mission. Space Adventures says it has canceled its plans with SpaceX because its reservation expired, and the mission will be unable to launch in the near future. However, Space Adventures hasnt ruled out the possibility of going back to SpaceX for a launch date at a later time.

The planned mission would have put four crew members into an orbit above the Earth at an altitude twice as high as the ISS. Once at altitude, the civilian crew would spend five days orbiting the Earth. The company did confirm that the mission had been marketed to a large number of prospective customers.

While the expired reservation with SpaceX is mainly to blame, a company spokesperson says it was a mix of price, timing, and the experience not being right for the time and contract it had in place with SpaceX. One thing that remains a mystery for most private space missions is exactly how much they cost.

Space Adventures may not be a name most people recognize, but its already taken visitors to the ISS as far back as 2001. Previously, the company would buy up unused seats on Soyuz missions launching from Russia. The last private astronaut company flew to the ISS in 2009.

However, Space Adventures has a dedicated mission, Soyuz MS-20, set to launch on December 8. That mission will take three passengers, including a Japanese billionaire, his assistant, and a professional astronaut, to the ISS to spend 12 days on the station before returning home in the same spacecraft.

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SpaceX reservation window closes for Space Adventures - SlashGear

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to carry the first industrial factory into space. AFP pic

TORRANCE (US), Oct 23 A space research company called Varda Space wants to become the first to build a manufacturing facility in space.

The firm is set to partner with SpaceX to accomplish this unlikely challenge, with the goal of producing materials using low gravity. The first launch is expected to take place in early 2023.

An industrial factory in space? Varda Spaces project may seem far-fetched after all, theres no shortage of room on Earth to build factories but the concept could well serve industries here on Earth.

Vardas aim would be to use microgravity to manufacture new materials or to further the research of the International Space Station on certain specific products.

According to TechCrunch, this kind of in-space facility could, for example, manufacture bio-printed organs or specialist semiconductors, even if, for the moment, nothing has been officially revealed by the firm, since no client contracts have yet been signed.

In order to make the trip to space, Varda Space needs to find partners to help make the journey to a low Earth orbit. And thats where SpaceX comes in. SpaceX offers companies that want to send objects into space the opportunity to use one of its scheduled launches to do so.

Basically, the two companies make the trip to space together. Once they arrive at their destination, they are free to go their separate ways almost like a kind of space carpooling in fact, although a little different from your regular downtown commute.

Varda Space has announced that it hopes to transport its factory on a Falcon 9 rocket, owned by SpaceX, scheduled for launch at the beginning of 2023. SpaceXs new rockets will carry the supplies needed to get the factory into space.

While the companies have not disclosed any terms of their agreement, it is known that the craft will spend about three months in orbit testing these new manufacturing technologies.

Critical landing

Another option for launching was nevertheless studied, in the form of Rocket Lab Electron rockets. But Varda Space did not want to put all its eggs in the same basket, since the New Zealand firm is already responsible for making the spacecraft that will accommodate its supplies, as well as the re-entry capsule for their return to Earth.

This capsule is extremely important since re-entry into the Earths atmosphere happens at Mach 28, and the materials must not break during the landing.

In reality, the most complex moment, from the manufacture to the recovery, remains this re-entry in the atmosphere.

Indeed, Mach 28 is equivalent to 28 times the speed of sound (1,224 km/h). Remember those science-fiction movies where you see a capsule return to Earth? Now, imagine transporting sensitive materials in this environment filled with uncertainty, and while encountering a multitude of external impacts. This will undoubtedly be one of the critical moments of the mission.

Unlike other spacecraft specialised in communication or imaging, Varda Space and its space factory do not require a specific orbit for their mission. Indeed, the facility only needs to be able to remain in a low Earth orbit. The lessons learned from this first flight will be used for subsequent flights.

Varda Space hopes to be able to launch a second or even a third mission by the end of 2024.

But this date is still relatively far off, which leaves the opportunity for other projects to arise. The European Union, for example, is working in the field with the PERIOD project, which aims to develop an orbital factory.

It will focus on the assembly and manufacture of satellites directly from space, in partnership with Airbus.

In any case, these ambitious projects give us a glimpse of some of the new perspectives for industrialists and entrepreneurs from all horizons. ETX Studio

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How SpaceX will blast the first space factory into orbit - Malay Mail

Elon Musks SpaceX could double its current $100bn (72.69bn)valuation in the coming years as it prepares to launch a first-of-its-kind satellite internet business called Starlink that would turn the company into a space telecom.

Reports recently valued SpaceX at $100bn and analysts at Morgan Stanley see Starlink as its biggest revenue driver as SpaceX is expected to bring the programme out of beta later this month and begin a nationwide rollout.

SpaceX has already launched 1,700 low earth orbit satellites to date that are intended to connect rural consumers to broadband internet speeds without the costof running cables and building towers in more remote areas.

It is clear to investors and industry observers that SpaceXs launch cost advantages are being used to accelerate deployment of its low Earth orbit broadband network, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a report reviewed by Capital.com. As the company achieves pole position in low Earth orbit, which many believe is a winner take most (if not winner take all) arena due to a host of technological and physical factors, the promise of a viable and capable satellite broadband service increases.

Until now, the more visible part of SpaceXhas beenconducting launches for NASA and more recently, low earth orbit flights for private citizens.

Yet, the launch business would only make up 12% of the companys equity value in Morgan Stanleys base case scenario or 25% of the equity value if the company reaches the bullish case of a $200bn valuation.

Yet, both businesses will have to work together to unlock the most value. SpaceX intends to launch 42,000 satelites by 2033, which will require the companys new Starship spacecraft to help deploy 400 satellites per launch.

We view SpaceXs launch capabilities and Starlink as inextricably linked whereby improvements in launch capacity/bandwidth (both in frequency and payload per flight) and cost of launch improve the economics and path to scale of Starlinks low Earth orbit constellation, Morgan Stanley analysts explained. At the same time, development of Starlinks commercial opportunity provides a thriving captive customer for the launch business, enabling a symbiotic development.

SpaceX does have competitors, but they are so far behind by comparison that it has Morgan Stanley questioning if anyone can catch up.

Starlink is finishing up a year-long beta test that is already serving more than 100,000 customers in 20 countries. The programme delivers speeds of 50-150 megabits per second starting at $99 per month with a $500 one-time payment for the terminal equipment which is a miniature dish device that is set up on the property.

That cost is still relatively high even though SpaceX is heavily subsidising the cost of the equipment, which at one point cost more than $2,000 and has come down to around $1,300 with further reductions expected. SpaceX reportedly wants to bring the entry fee down to $250.

The company is already producing 5,000 terminals per week with goals of producing multiples of that once a new Austin, Texas factory goesonline.

Of the four competitors in this emerging sector, only startup OneWeb has started to deploy satellites.

OneWeb emerged from bankruptcy late last year with new financial backing from Indian conglomerate Bharti Global and the UK government and has since deployed more than 40% of its planned 648 satellites. The company is targeting global coverage by June 2022.

Canada-based Telesat Lightspeed said it expects to begin commercial service in the second half of 2023 with consumer programs available in 2024.

Amazon is also heavily investing in this space through its Kuiper programme, which plans to launch 3,236 satellites via a $10bn financial injection from the tech giant. Amazon also showcased a low-cost terminal, acquired Facebooks satellite team, attained FCC approvals and signed a launch agreement with United Launch Alliance.

However, Amazon has no plans to begin launches until at least 2023 and set a goal of bringing the first half of its constellation online by July 2026.

The market is potentially massive and would do a lot of good to connect more consumers to the advantages of high-speed internet.

By the end of 2019, 14.5 million Americans still have no access to broadband Internet speeds (defined as 25/3 Mbps), according to the 2021 Federal Communications Commission Broadband Deployment Report.

Unesco reported in 2019 that 45% of the worlds population does not have access to broadband Internet speeds.

Morgan Stanley expects Starlink to operate at a loss, burning $33bn of cash through 2030 until it turns cash flow positive in 2031 and ramps up to a business that generates $30bn of free cash flow a year by 2040.

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SpaceX to double its $100bn valuation if satellite internet takes off - Capital.com

RESTON, Va., Oct. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Astronauts from the three different commercial space experiences that occurred in 2021 will appear on stage together in Las Vegas on Monday, 15 November, during 2021 ASCEND. ASCEND is the interdisciplinary community focused on building humanitys off-world future faster, powered by AIAA. Confirmed speakers include:

The exclusive gathering of these citizen astronauts to share firsthand accounts of their missions epitomizes the ASCEND spirit of community and global partnership. They will discuss the impact of their missions, as well as their experiences during training, flight, and post-launch. The speakers will appear in person in the following 2021 ASCEND sessions:

Opening Keynote Speakers: Jared Isaacman, Sian ProctorMonday, 15 November, 07300900 hrs PT

Lunch Plenary Session: Citizen Astronauts Moderator: Kari Byron, Producer and Television Personality,Mythbusters,White Rabbit Project; Host,Crash Test WorldSpeakers: Sirisha Bandla, Glen de Vries, Jared Isaacman, Sian ProctorMonday, 15 November, 11451245 hrs PT

2021 ASCEND is set for 810 and 1517 November, showcasing a hybrid blend of in-person programming in Las Vegas (Caesars Forum) and Washington, D.C., and online programming on all six days.

The Public is Invited to Attend 2021 ASCENDASCEND is an event open to everyone who loves space. The public is invited to register now at the best rates. The full agenda and confirmed speakers are available at ascend.events.

Registration for in-person attendance is limited and only open until 10 November, to ensure all AIAA Health and Safety protocols are met.

Press Passes Available to MediaJournalists interested in covering the citizen astronauts and the full ASCEND program at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas in person should contact rebeccag@aiaa.org for credentialing, or request an Online Press Pass here.

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCENDPowered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanitys progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About AIAAThe American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the worlds largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visitwww.aiaa.org,or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6138728f-335f-4533-9c53-4449f34f1e03

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Citizen Astronauts from Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic Commercial Space Missions to Appear Together at 2021 ASCEND in Las Vegas -...

Elon Musk, the king of all-things-absurd and space tech magnate, is planning another scientific event!

On Monday, he sparked speculation with a Tweet in which he stated that SpaceX would attempt to capture the largest-ever flying object. All of that made sense until he said the thing would be caught with robot chopsticks.

In April, Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the Super Heavy launch tower at SpaceXs Boca Chica facility was basically Mechazilla that just needs some legs.

And now Mechazilla just received a set of huge robot chopsticks on Wednesday.

Recently, SpaceX has mounted its robot chopsticks on the Super Heavy booster launch tower and will attempt to snag a giant rocket using them, according to Elon Musk.

The robot chopsticks are meant to be arms outstretched in order to catch the aptly named Super Heavy rocket boosters as they fall back towards Earth post-launches so they can be reused. Unfortunately, even though Elon Musk initially revealed the catch arms in 2020, the company couldnt assemble and install the chopsticks on the launch assembly until Tuesday.

You can see the video of its assembly below:

The arms of Mechazilla are a part of the overall structure. The robot chopsticks will be used to capture Starship, providing it with a significant role in SpaceXs Boca Chica complex, according to Musk.

Were going to try to catch the Super Heavy booster with the launch tower arm, using the grid fins to take the load, Musk tweeted last year.

The systems operation will be an intriguing thing to witness. If SpaceX succeeds, it will add a new level of excitement to the companys already thrilling rocket landings.

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SpaceX Has Finally Installed The Robot Chopsticks It Needs To Catch Massive Rockets - Wonderful Engineering