Category Archives: Spacex

Residents of Brownsville, a small city in Texas, are divided.Their town is now home to SpaceX's rocket-production facilities, which only promises to grow bigger.

Some locals told Insider they're at their wits' end with SpaceX as the aerospace company sets off explosions and pushes locals out of the area. But others see it as a positive impact on the economy and residents' wellbeing.

Brownsville, which lies 20 miles west of SpaceX's launch facilities on the Gulf Coast, is known for being one of the poorest areas in the US. The 300,000-person city also has a very high unemployment rate.

When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted at the end of March that he was donating $30 million to Brownsville $20 million to schools and $10 million for revitalization it split the city.

Musk also announced that he was building a new city called Starbase at SpaceX's launch facilities which would be "much larger" than Boca Chica Village, where the company is developing its Starship rocket.

Brownsville's mayor Trey Mendez was surprised at Musk's announcement and said in an interview with KSAT 12 it was "exciting" that the community could have the chance to become the face of "space exploration and innovation."

Mendez said he hoped Musk's capital would help "accelerate the progress [in Brownsville] even more."

But there is division between those living in the south Texas city. Some are concerned that SpaceX's developments will be devastating for the people, nature, and ecosystems there. Others welcome the job opportunities, economic prosperity, and modernization that Musk's company could bring to the town.

SpaceX didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Every time a rocket blows up on the launchpad, it hurls debris into the nearby nature sanctuaries in the area. SpaceX has witnessed four out of five of its Starship prototypes explode, meaning that metals and pieces of machinery are lying in areas that have never been disturbed before.

"These ecosystems are our community's lifeblood," said Bekah Hinojosa, resident of Brownsville and member of Another Gulf is Possible, an organization working on environmental issues along the southern Gulf Coast.

"SpaceX explosions are littering our ecosystems, home to the endangered ocelot, aplomado falcon, and numerous migratory birds," she said.

Xandra Trevio is a member of the art collective Las Imaginistas. It's an initiative that aims to connect with officials and lower-income residents in the Rio Grande Valley, where Brownsville is situated, to improve quality of life. As a resident, she told Insider that she's already seeing the negative effects of SpaceX in the area.

"Any SpaceX expansion would be occupying more land considered sacred to the local indigenous Carrizo Comecrudo tribe," Trevio said, who lives in the area.

Residents face disruption every time they're told to leave their homes before a SpaceX launch, she added.

In March, Musk encouraged people to move to the Brownsville area, saying that SpaceX needs specific jobs in engineering, tech, and other sectors.

Residents felt that Musk's Twitter callout, however, wasn't directed at them, but instead anyone in the US who wanted a career at SpaceX.

Claudia Michelle Serrano, a digital content coordinator for Las Imaginistas, who lives in Brownsville told Insider that Musk's job proposals via Twitter were offered on a national level to those interested in working for the space company.

"The jobs being created aren't for us," she said. "There is zero transparency on the jobs SpaceX created locally."

Jobs in Brownsville are low-wage, meaning that residents on those salaries won't be able to keep up with increasing costs in the city, according to Serrano.

Christine Leal, a 17-year-old high school student living in the Rio Grande Valley, told Insider that although her dream is to work for SpaceX after studying engineering at university, she's worried about "the immense danger," which the company will bring to the area.

Pulling in engineers from outside of the valley will lead residents to be financially disadvantaged and pushed out of their homes, she said. "There's a large probability that [Musk] will further develop Brownsville, but neglect the locals who were already here."

Leal said although the company's project will be amazing for the local economy, "Elon and SpaceX need to make sure that locals have a role in that development and don't push us aside. If he doesn't, then we risk losing our culture, land, customs, and traditions."

Low-income residents could be forced to leave their homes due to spiking prices caused by SpaceX's presence in the area, locals told Insider.

Musk announced the construction of SpaceX's facilities in 2014. Since then, the cost of living in the area has gradually increased as more people from across the US flock to Brownsville to work for the billionaire.

If the city of Starbase goes ahead, the small village and its leaders would have access to eminent domain, which could let them legally force holdouts to sell their homes, Insider reported May 8.

"The biggest concern is displacement," said Serrano. "Our home could be lost with rapidly increasing taxes or others who rent will be priced out."

Investors have been rushing to Brownsville to buy homes, sending house prices rocketing, Insider reported in April. But many residents aren't able to afford these prices, leaving them with a tough decision of whether to stay in the area or not.

Serrano said this could have a huge impact on the Buena Vida area of downtown Brownsville, a historically immigrant and Spanish speaking area.

Many of the locals who spoke to Insider believe the local leaders have a lot to answer for. Freddy Jimenez, editor of media platform Trucha, told us the leaders of Cameron County and City of Brownsville don't represent the everyday people living in the area as they look to profit from the space company's developments. Conversations between the representatives and SpaceX have been kept under the wraps, he added.

"Working people, community members, indigenous people, and the beautiful ecology of the region is being put at risk and exploited," Jimenez said. "Shame on our local leaders and shame on the interests they serve."

Robert Avitia, who was born and raised in Brownsville, still lives in the city where he runs his business. He thinks that SpaceX has done wonders by pumping more money into the area.

Although Avitia believes there are more positives than negatives with Musk coming to Brownsville, he agrees that rocket debris in the wildlife sanctuaries and the closing off of Boca Chica beach are serious issues in the community.

Boca Chica beach was a place where people could hang out whenever they wanted, Avitia told Insider.

"Now it's controlled. You can't get in and out whenever you want to. It's only when they allow it, based on what's happening at SpaceX," he said.

The beach was a big part of the culture in the area. Avitia recalled the fond memories he had with his father of coming down to the beach to fish. Now, SpaceX sometimes doesn't allow people to fish as it's too close to the facilities.

Hinojosa, who raised concerns about rocket litter earlier in this report, also said SpaceX closing off the beach access for locals threatens people's livelihoods by preventing people from fishing and feeding their families, and enjoying the beach.

But Avitia is one of the many people who welcome SpaceX's expansion in Brownsville. Beforehand, the city was a "ghost town" with little to offer, he said. Now, it's become more modern as new restaurants and businesses pop up on the streets, the tourism sector grows, and highways are updated he added.

"There is division here," he said. "You have people that are just comfortable and don't want to change... I hate to say this but the ones that want to stay comfortable are going to lose, they're going to miss out."

Restricting access to the beach and fishing comes with change, said Avitia.

"[Musk] donating money was like him saying, "Hey, I'm here to help. I'm not here to take away. I'm here to help." And I truly believe he's here to help," he added.

Four other people who spoke to Insider said they were also excited about Brownsville being the home of SpaceX.

One of them, Rudy Guzman, a lifelong resident of Brownsville, told Insider that SpaceX is exactly what the city needs "to attract outside investors and grow our local economy." Others said it would motivate children and make a huge improvement to education.

Excerpt from:

SpaceX is causing division in Brownsville over disruption, economic impact - Business Insider

Sometimes competition is healthy but perhaps less so when you've unknowingly pitted yourself against your sibling for a chance to take part in a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

Max and Charlie Denison-Pender are two brothers locked in rivalry for a place on Elon Musk's first civilian flight round the moon, which is slated for 2023. The trip is poised to last six days: three days to get to the moon and loop round the back of it, and three days to return to Earth.

It was first announced in 2018 that SpaceX planned to launch a private passenger named Yusaku Maezawa around the moon.

Earlier this year, Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire, released more details: he would be chartering the flight, now known as the dearMoon project, and was seeking eight people to join him.

He then announced an open competition for people to apply for the tickets. Originally, Maezawa said he would give the seats to artists but is now broadening the search.

The application process is simple and involves filling out a form that asks for basic information like name, email address, and country. It also asks the applicant which of Maezawa's social media accounts they follow.

Eager to acquire a seat on the flight, both brothers entered the competition separately.

Amid a few giggles, Charlie told Insider: "I wasn't expecting him to want to go to the moon because I've always been the one interested in space. I guess he has too but unknown to me."

When asked about their rivalry, Charlie said: "We're competitive, but in a very friendly way."

For Charlie, though, entering the competition means more than just traveling on a historic flight round the moon. As a student of aerospace engineering at Brunel University, Charlie has ambitions to transform the future of travel beyond Earth.

"The reason why I'm interested in going on the flight is because one day I hope to start a space airliner," he said.

He added that space travel, in his view, will mimic the nature of commercial travel in the future. He hopes to be one of the first people to contribute to that development. "Going on this trip would provide me with raw inspiration, adventure, but also a first-hand look into the sort of standards that you need to be meeting for commercial space travel," he said.

Meanwhile, Max, an artist, has been hard at work on his end-of-year exhibition. His interest in flying to the moon came as a complete shock to Charlie, given his creative background.

When asked how he'd feel if Max won the seat instead of him, Charlie answered: "I'd be secretly quite annoyed but also very happy for him at the same time."

But such travels are not without risks. Therehave been several failed landings of SpaceX Starship prototypes, although onedid finally land successfully this month. Arecent incident involved a rocket exploding upon landing, which sent debris flying in the air.

Also this month, pieces of a runaway Chinese rocket crashed down in the Indian Ocean. Although it was unmanned, it highlighted the dangers of space travel.

But Charlie seemsunbothered. "Generally, I'm pretty confident in Elon Musk and SpaceX, because he's been doing groundbreaking things for a long time and throughout the Starship prototypes and the testing, you can see the progress each time," he said.

He added: "I've always been quite adventurous and a bit of a risk-taker so even if there was a risk, I would still do it because I'm passionate about it. So, not too worried about things like that."

As previously reported by Insider, Maezawa said the mission will include 10 to 12 people in total, including the eight civilians he will select.

The crew members will be chosen at the end of June and training will begin shortly thereafter, the website for applications said. Preparation for the mission will last until "lift off," which is scheduled for the first part of 2023.

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SpaceX: brothers had no idea they were rivals in dearMoon contest - Business Insider

Four private astronauts have been strapped into a centrifuge, climbing mountains and learning how to fly a spacecraft ahead of their flight to space the first-ever crewed space mission without any "professional astronauts" on board.

The crew is preparing to launch this upcoming September as part of the Inspiration4 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission, privately chartered by billionaire Jared Isaacman to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, recruited three crew members in addition to Isaacman for the trip which will fly around the Earth for several days. The crew includes Isaacman, St. Jude physician's assistant and childhood bone cancer survivor Hayley Arcenaux, data engineer Chris Sembroski and geoscientist, science communicator and artist Sian Proctor.

And, since the crew was announced, they have been nonstop training and preparing for the mission that they seem to be very excited about. "It's something you dream of your entire life," Proctor told Space.com.

While the crew is made up of "non-professional" astronauts, or people flying to space who are not affiliated with NASA or any other space agency, that does not mean that they don't need to prepare thoroughly for their mission to space.

"If you look at the definition of an astronaut, it is somebody who has been selected for and is training for a spaceflight mission, and that's exactly what we're doing," Proctor said.

Related: Meet the contest-winning crew of Inspiration4

To kick off the training for their spaceflight, the Inspiration4 crew began with a centrifuge. Soon after the crew was announced, the private astronauts strapped in, one at a time, to the centrifuge at The National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center in Pennsylvania. In this training initiation, they were spun in circles and experienced the G-forces (gravitational forces) that they are expected to experience during their actual trip to space.

The centrifuge spin was "awesome," Proctor told Space.com. "Everything's awesome. I'm just gonna say that."

Following their ride in the centrifuge, the crew geared up for the next daunting step in their training: a perilous hike. The four private astronauts hiked up the side of Mount Rainier in Washington to a base camp thousands of feet above sea level. Backpacking trips like this are a tradition and an important part of training for astronaut crews ahead of their missions.

These outdoor trips put the crew into an environment that requires them to work together and cope with challenges and unexpected obstacles. While the side of a mountain is different from the inside of a spacecraft, such a trip can help crewmates to learn how to support one another, communicate and push through difficult circumstances together.

"NASA astronauts have a history of engaging in crew cohesion and bonding" through such trips, Proctor said. "You're doing something that's kind of unique and out of your comfort zone, then you get to the point where you're like, 'I don't know if I can continue,' but then you reach in deep and you move forward, and you keep going. And that is part of the bonding experience."

"It's not life-threatening. It's more just that whole idea of endurance and survival and relying on each other and, and bonding through that," Proctor added. Proctor likened the training to her many experiences as an analog astronaut, during which she has lived with crews of researchers in remote facilities on simulated space missions. Proctor once spent four months living in a simulated Mars mission at the HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) research facility on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

After braving the elements together in Washington state, the crew all convened for the first time at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. There, they went on to begin the more in-depth training for the mission.

Proctor, who will be the mission's pilot, practiced and ran through what it will be like to actually fly SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle. "The Dragon capsule is autonomous," she said. So, "ideally, it's going to fly and do the mission and all of that and me as a pilot, my job is to make sure that everything that's supposed to happen in a nominal way does."

She added that she will work to fly the craft with Isaacman, who will command the mission. "Together we work the system," she said. "It's very similar to flying an airplane where he's in the left seat as the commander and then I'm in the right seat, but we're both pilots."

This training at SpaceX continued to build the bonds of the crew. "It's really important to back each other up," Proctor said, "and really understand how we work as a team."

"I think that's one of the things that, when people think about NASA and the astronauts, a lot of times we think of them as individuals, but really they're a crew. They've trained together to become this integrated system you understand what everybody's job is, but you also understand how to back up everybody," she added.

Now, with approximately four months until the mission is set to take off in September, the team still has a lot of training ahead of them to ensure that they are all as prepared as possible for their trip around Earth. One of the upcoming training that Proctor is specifically looking forward to is also something that NASA astronauts do ahead of their flights, which is training flying jet planes.

NASA astronauts have to log a certain number of hours flying T-38 jets and, according to Proctor, their training is heavily inspired by and modeled after NASA astronaut training. "As a kid, I always wanted to fly a fighter jet," she said, "so I'm really excited about the fact that this is part of our training."

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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The Inspiration4 astronauts are training hard for their private launch on a SpaceX rocket - Space.com

SpaceX has been selected by aerospace company Firefly to fly its Blue Ghost lunar lander to the moon in 2023, on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Blue Ghost will be carrying 10 payloads for NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. The mission forms part of a $93.3 million task order, as well as separately contracted commercial payloads, the space agency reported.

In an announcement, Shea Ferring, Firefly's SVP of spacecraft, said: "Firefly is excited to fly our Blue Ghost spacecraft on the highly reliable Falcon 9, which will deliver NASA instruments and technology demonstration payloads that support NASA science goals and NASA's Artemis program."

He added: "The high performance of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle permits a lunar transit using minimal Blue Ghost propulsion resources, thereby allowing the lander to deliver more than 150 kg of payload to the lunar surface."

The NASA deal, which was agreed in February, involves the delivery of 10 research payloads, as part of the agency's mission to conduct experiments and other technology demonstrations on the moon to investigate surface conditions.

Texas-based Firefly is yet to launch anything but in June, it hopes to conduct rocket testing for small satellite launches, Space.com reported.

Named after a rare type of firefly species, Blue Ghost will land at Mare Crisium in the moon's Crisium basin and conduct operations for a complete lunar day, which is about 14 days on Earth.

Tom Markusic, Firefly's CEO, said in a blogpost:"Firefly is excited to leverage the performance and reliability of Falcon 9 to propel Blue Ghost on the first phase of its journey to the Moon."

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SpaceX has been selected by Firefly Aerospace to send its Blue Ghost lunar lander to the moon in 2023 - Business Insider

BOCA CHICA BEACH, Texas (KVEO)- Without a doubt, SpaceX has brought a lot to South Texas, specifically to Boca Chica. But it has also had a major impact on the city of Brownsville.

Brownsville Mayor, Trey Mendez, visited memory lane when SpaceX was first starting out in Cameron County.

I remember in September of 2019, I was at the SpaceX facility for an event where Elon Musk spoke and really started to talk about starship and the plans for a starship and everything they were going to be doing, said Mendez.

Slowly but surely, everything SpaceX set out to do is slowly happening. Mayor Mendez said the city of Brownsville continues to grow and SpaceX has had a big part in that.

Weve seen a pretty big surge over the last couple years specifically over the last 6 months some of that has coincided with SpaceX growth theyve really ramped up operations theyve got about 1,400 employees right now and theyre looking for more, he said.

With SpaceX outside city limits, Mendez said Brownsville does not profit from tax revenues or property taxes. While that would also be a benefit for the city, Mendez adds they do see indirect benefits from their operations.

People that have moved here people that are purchasing houses people that eating locally or staying at hotels things like that so we do see an indirect impact and its a pretty big indirect impact, he said.

According to Mendez, now that SpaceX could have a contract with NASA in the near future, the possibilities could be endless and bigger than they anticipated.

Other space-related companies that are interested in coming to Brownsville as a result of whats happening out there that doesnt necessarily launch companies but that are involved in other facets of space or the space industry, said Mendez.

The focus for the city is to be the destination for the SpaceX industry. Mendez hopes this will bring more people down to Boca Chica Beach in different parts of Brownsville to enjoy the history of the city.

The last time they launched last week I saw probably a couple of hundred people on the side of the road between here and Port Isabel which I wasnt expecting so that was interesting to see families, real people of all ages with their eyes on the sky looking at what was happening, said Mendez.

As for the future of Brownsville, Mendez is excited for what the space industry will bring.

I certainly see this industry growing, space-related businesses are probably going to be a trillion-dollar industry by 2030 so we definitely want to capitalize on that and continue to grow, he said.

For now, space fanatics will be keeping their eyes on what SpaceX plans on next.

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Brownsville sees impact throughout the years thanks to SpaceX - KGBT-TV

HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO)On May 25, 1961, President Kennedy announced the goal of landing a man on the moon before a joint session of Congress.

In that speech, he said,

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieve the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important, and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.

Years later America did just that, as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on July 20, 1969.

This landing inspired the world, including McAllen native Michael Fossum.

Fossum was just a boy at the time, but this great feat would lead Fossum to become one of the Rio Grande Valleys only astronauts.

According to NASA, Fossum is a veteran of three space flights and has logged more than 194 days in space, including more than 48 hours in seven spacewalks.

Sitting on the launch pad, you can feel the space shuttle coming to life as the main engines lit up and you feel this shutter and vibration, he said as he recalled his experience.

Fossum says though these moments are always breathtaking, they are still scary for him. But as an astronaut, you have a job to do no matter what.

Youre thinking okay if that goes wrong, what is our next step, and what could fail, so youre really busy all the way uphill, said Fossum.

Fossum has served in a variety of roles over the course of his career, but most notably was his last mission in 2011 where he served as the commander of the International Space Station.

While up there, Fossum says looking down at earth was always a spiritual experience.

I was just looking at the North Atlantic Ocean, with this blue ocean down there and dappling white clouds and this impossible black sky above and with the brightness of earth, Fossum said.

You couldnt really see the earth, and this thin ban of the atmosphere about the width of my finger, its like oh my god this is amazing, he said.

To say he enjoyed his career as an astronaut would be an understatement.

But now, the Mcallen Native gives back to the next generation as the Vice President of Texas A&M University, and the COO of Texas A&M University at Galveston, and Superintendent of Texas A&M Maritime Academy.

You can do just about anything that you put your mind to that you work hard enough to achieve. said Fossum.

These are words he continues to pass on to middle school students in McAllen.

Many of these students attend Fossum Middle School, named after Fossum for all his aeronautic accomplishments.

Fossum went on to say he is encouraged by the recent developments and strides SpaceX has made over the years. When Fossum grew up in the RGV, he says there were no engineering programs, and very few jobs for engineers.

Now, programs are flourishing and he says SpaceX has made great strides on the space front. Fossum says today, there are plenty of jobs for people in the area looking to break into the field.

SpaceX, now thats a complete game-changer. I toured the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica and I am just blown away at whats going on down there and of course, we all watched that successful landing, said Fossum.

Fossum says he wants the RGV to continue to press forward in space exploration.

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McAllen astronaut reflects on time spent in space and SpaceX - KGBT-TV

I attended the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide in October 2017 and sat in on a presentation on the future of humanity in space by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. He was talking about a large fully reusable rocket, called BFR at the time, which was designed to revolutionise space access and, most importantly in Musks view, to realise his long-held goal of colonising Mars, making humans a multi-planet species.

Apart from being fully reusable, the BFRnow Starshipwas designed to launch over 100 metric tonnes of payloadcargo or astronautsinto low earth orbit (LEO) and, with on-orbit refuelling, send that payload on to the moon, Mars or even beyond. Its reusability promised much lower launch costs and, depending on how many Starships were to be built, full reusability opened up the prospect of regular space access at around US$2 million per launch. In comparison, NASAs Space Launch System, which is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule, will fly once a year, isnt reusable and costs around US$2 billion per launch.

Fast forward to now, and SpaceX has just successfully flownand landeda test vehicle called Starship SN15. That comes after several tests ended in fiery explosions and spectacular crashes. The successful SN15 test is a real breakthrough for SpaceX, and opens up a path for additional tests in coming months.

SpaceXs approach with Starship development is following that it used to develop its Falcon 9 partly reusable launch vehicle. The methodology involves developing capability through operational testing, which saw numerous failures with Falcon 9 rockets before they were perfected. Theyre now flying regularly. The next steps with Starship are further tests to higher altitudes, and then orbital flights using the Super Heavy booster stage as early as July, with full operational service by 2023.

Starship opens up the prospect of rapid and regular low-cost, high-volume space access. The sheer capacity of the vehicle means that it can deploy very large payloads, such as big satellites or space station modules. Alternatively, large numbers of smaller satellites can be deployed in one launch.

For human spaceflight, Starship will play a pivotal role in NASAs Project Artemis, with SpaceX being awarded a contract to provide the landing system to get astronauts from the Gateway lunar orbit station to the moon, though a protest lodged by competitors has led to the contract being paused pending arbitration. Musk also advocates Starship as the key capability for getting people to Mars in coming decades.

The potential national security and military applications offered by Starship also need to be considered. SpaceX has promoted Starship as a means of rapid point-to-point transport across the earth, carrying either troops or cargo to a distant operational deployment within 30 minutes. Starships payload capacity would provide the equivalent of a C-17 cargo aircrafts load anywhere on the planet within an hour. There are obvious risks in this idea, especially the challenge of distinguishing incoming Starships carrying troops or cargo from ballistic missiles. The potential for miscalculation and escalation in a crisis would be considerable.

Perhaps a better option would be the use of Starship to rapidly deploy large military payloads into orbit, to augment or reconstitute satellites destroyed by adversary counterspace capabilities. Theres also increasing debate within the US Space Force over the moon and cislunar space as a region of military competition, especially in light of Chinese and Russian space activities.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies Defense against the dark arts in space report postulated a Chinese attack on US communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit from the cislunar region, and greater interest is emerging in extending space domain awareness out to cislunar space. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project Draco is designed to develop a nuclear-powered spacecraft for that role. Its the sort of payload that Starship could easily deliver into lunar orbit, or to a Lagrange pointwhere earths and moons gravity are balanced allowing long-endurance deployments at minimal cost.

The key importance of SpaceXs Starship is the promise of low-cost, rapid space access to deploy large payloads into orbit. Critical to that is reusability, allowing rapid turnaround and a high launch cadence. Thats the game changer, and other US companies such as Blue Origin and Rocketlab, Chinese companies, and Europes Arianespace are now pursuing reusable launch vehicle designs.

The case for reusability for Australian launch providers needs to be balanced by the potential low cost of production of rocket hardware, including engines, and the requirements dictated by payload mass. Smaller satellite payloads of the type that Australia is likely to pursue in coming years arent likely to justify the extra expense for local space launch providers of developing a reusable rocket. It makes more sense to emphasise the low-cost, rapid production of expendable launch vehicles to match expected demand from either local or overseas customers. However, once Australian companies begin developing larger rocket systems, as they certainly will, reusability needs to be considered as an option, particularly for heavier payloads.

That may open up new opportunities for the Australian Defence Forces use of sovereign launch capabilities. Its possible that 10 years from now the ADF Space Command could manage sovereign-controlled satellites and be able to rely on sovereign launch capability provided by Australian commercial launch providers. In that scenario, if the ADF urgently required additional space support during a crisis, it could mandate rapid launches of stockpiled small satellites to meet its communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements. If Australia were to be faced with an adversary counterspace campaign attacking our larger satellites in geosynchronous orbit, the ADF could quickly direct an Australian company to launch additional satellites to fill gaps.

Waiting months for a launch wouldnt be an option, as our forces operating in the air, sea and land domains would need space support urgently. Relying on a US launch provider such as SpaceX would be risky, as they are likely to be fully tasked with supporting US operational requirements in a crisis. An Australian launch provider will need to be able to deploy satellites quicklyand locally developed reusable launchers might be the best way to do that.

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SpaceX's reusable rocket technology will have implications for Australia | The Strategist - The Strategist

In December 2020, the Indonesian government had offered the Papuan island of Biak, home to some 100,000 inhabitants, to the centibillionare Elon Musk as a potential launch site for the SpaceX Mars-bound expedition.

SpaceX, an aerospace corporation founded in 2002 by Musk, is arguably the worlds most leading-edge technological project. It aims to enable humans to travel to and live on Mars and potentially other planets sustainably and at scale.

This way, human civilisation can continue in the event of a planetary disaster for instance, an asteroid strike or nuclear war that would make life on Earth impossible.

At a local level, government officials say the project will help enhance the economic development of the residents of Biak, a rural island where urban infrastructure is lacking.

Most recently, local news reported on March 11 that the Indonesian government has denied making the offer to Elon Musk, although a report published in late March by JUBI, a news website based in the capital city of Papua, Jayapura, claims the SpaceX project in Biak is still ongoing.

It is still unclear whether Musk has confirmed his acceptance of the governments offer.

However, many Biak residents have voiced strong opposition to the project.

They fear it may damage their natural environment, have negative impacts on their cultures and livelihoods, and displace communities from their homes and villages.

Biak island is an attractive location for the Mars expedition for economic and strategic reasons.

The island sits within a region rich in natural resources, including copper and nickel. These metals are essential for the production of rockets and long-range batteries for electric vehicles, like Tesla (another Elon Musk venture).

Biak is also located one degree south of the equator, meaning less fuel will be required for a spacecraft to reach orbit.

SpaceX expects to generate revenue of US$36 billion by 2025, although the accuracy of such projections is disputed.

As a social anthropologist, I have spent many years researching how Indigenous Papuan peoples interact with their natural environments.

In particular, I have been exploring how Papuan cultural values and traditions shape how they engage with and understand the value and meaning of the natural environment the forests, oceans, rivers and land.

Read more: In West Papua, oil palm expansion undermines the relations of indigenous Marind people to forest plants and animals

Between March and April 2021, I interviewed 10 Biak inhabitants to understand their perspectives on the SpaceX project.

The overwhelming majority of these individuals believe they have the right to decide what developments happen on their lands and what kind of livelihoods they want to pursue.

One of the elders explained that local communities in Biak have been fishing, gathering, hunting and engaging in small-scale horticulture and animal husbandry for many generations.

The idea of achieving sustainability in outer space, especially Mars, was strange for many of the interviewees. They firmly believe that the way they use forests and oceans is already sustainable.

The SpaceX project could also threaten the lands and livelihoods of Biak residents. They continue to rely primarily on fishing, hunting and horticulture for their daily subsistence.

As with other Indigenous Papuan communities, the land and environment represent an integral part of the richness of their local cultures.

As several interviewees explained, clans and tribes in the Biak area share ancestry with different plants, species and locations in the landscape, which are responsible for their health and well-being.

For instance, the crocodile is said to represent the power of the sea and Biak clans consider it a sacred totem animal.

To Biak and other Papuan dwellers, the environment is also a source of precious traditional knowledge, stories passed down through generations, and animist belief systems.

Biak myths often feature forest plants like the coconut palm, animals including snakes and birds, and natural phenomena like the Moon and Sun.

For Biak inhabitants, damaging the environment means damaging local peoples sense of cultural identity, belonging and pride.

Another risk is that the Biak project might displace populations.

One of the Biak elders I interviewed noted that relocating tribes to other territories could cause problems with the tribes already inhabiting and owning these territories.

This in turn risks leading to land disputes, social conflict and more violence.

Many Biak dwellers whom I interviewed also argue that the project will obscure the history of violence and suffering, and the dreams of justice and freedom for West Papuans, in favor of rockets and space exploration.

In particular, the transformation of their island into a launchpad for extra-planetary discovery risks further obscuring the trauma that haunts the relatives and descendants of those who died in the Biak Massacre of July 1998.

The Biak Massacre Citizens Tribunal an expert witness and judicial inquiry event held at the University of Sydney in December 2013 concluded that Indonesian military and security forces had tortured, raped, killed and dumped hundreds of Biak civilians at sea.

Some of the victims had attempted to raise the West Papua Morning Star flag a crime punishable by up to 15 years jail under Indonesian law.

To date, no charges have been laid against the perpetrators of the violence.

The government denies responsibility for this event, described by human rights organisations as one of the worst massacres in Indonesias post-Suharto history.

Unhealed trauma plays a big part in shaping Biak residents reactions to the SpaceX project.

For many inhabitants, looking into the future demands first and foremost a recognition by the national and international community of the violence that has characterised West Papuas modern past and the denied freedoms that continue to characterise its present.

From my long years working with and learning from Indigenous Papuans, I have come to understand that they, too, have their own dreams, including dreams of justice, healthy environments and cultural continuity.

Indigenous Papuan peoples are among the last standing guardians and custodians of rich Indigenous civilisations in Indonesia. These are grounded in relations of respect and nurture with the land and environment. Papuan peoples envision hopeful futures for their children and grandchildren to come not on Mars or the Moon, but right here on their own customary lands, forests and seas.

The problem arises when some dreams are prioritised at the cost of others.

Extra-planetary exploration may promise revolutionary futures for humans to come. But it should not undermine the well-being and justice of humans today.

Humanitys shared future can only be great if all visions of the future are respectfully taken into account those of entrepreneurs and government, but also those of local communities and their increasingly vulnerable environments.

Read more:

Proposed base for Elon Musk's SpaceX project threatens lands and livelihoods in Biak, Papua - The Conversation Indonesia

From a meme to the Moon. Dogecoin's reputation in the digital currency world is only growing.

HAWTHORNE, Calif. Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that was started as a joke in 2013, has just paid for a mission to the Moon.

Geometric Energy Corporation announced the DOGE-1 mission, the first-ever commercial lunar mission paid entirely with Dogecoin, will launch in 2022 with the help of SpaceX.

If that connection sounds familiar, it's because SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and calls for Dogecoin "to the Moon" have been synonymous.

The commercial space giant is even credited with providing a boost to the meme-based digital currency earlier this year when he tweeted "Doge Barking at the Moon."

DOGE-1 will consist of an approximately 88-pound CubeSat that will head to space atop a Falcon 9 rocket as part of a rideshare payload.

"The payload will obtain lunar-spatial intelligence from sensors and cameras on-board with integrated communications and computational systems," according to Geometric Energy Corporation.

The company added that Dogecoin has been chosen as the payment for all of its lunar business with SpaceX and finds the decision will set a precedent for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

"This mission will demonstrate the application of cryptocurrency beyond Earth orbit and set the foundation for interplanetary commerce," SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Tom Ochinero said. "We're excited to launch DOGE-1 to the Moon!"

Musk also appears to be excited about the first-ever crypto and meme in space tweeting a Dogecoin song with the ever-popular phrase "To the mooooonnn!!"

"Dogecoin is an open-source peer-to-peer digital currency, favored by Shiba Inus worldwide," the company, based on the breeds "Doge" meme, states on its website.

It can be spent just like money and despite its start as a joke, Dogecoin is ranked as a top-five digital currency, according to CoinMarketCap.

As of May 17, Dogecoin was trading around $0.49, with the total value of the cryptocurrency in circulation reaching more than $64 billion.

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Dogecoin funded Moon mission will be launched by SpaceX in 2022 - WTSP.com

Read: Mark Kellys secret weapon

All of this has renewed debate about who counts as an astronaut and who doesnt. Most people would agree that the professional astronauts who work for NASA are astronauts. But what about NASA administrator Bill Nelson, who flew to space in 1986 as a member of Congress and has since referred to himself as an astronaut? And what about Bezos, who says he wants to try out his own Blue Origin spacecraft someday? Do you have to reach orbit to become an astronaut, or is simply crossing the boundary between Earths atmosphere and space enough to earn the title?

In the American consciousness, astronauts are seen as almost superhuman, with the right stuff, a secret-sauce set of qualities that distinguishes them from everyone else. The wealthy astronauts-to-be have promised they arent just going to look out the window; they will donate money from raffles and auctions and help do research on the ISS. But if astronauts become synonymous with billionaires, our lofty view of them is bound to come back down to Earth.

The definition of astronaut has always been a little complicated. In 1958, when NASA was brand-new, the agency wasnt sure what to call the people it would soon send to space. Officials gathered for brainstorms, a process that involved consulting dictionaries and thesauri and scribbling ideas on a blackboard. Somebody said spaceman and someone else said superman and still another said space pilot, wrote Allen Gamble, a NASA psychologist, in an essay in 1971. The group liked Mercury, for the mythological messenger of the gods, but it turned out that NASA headquarters had already claimed it as the name of the countrys first spaceflight effort. When they came across aeronaut, the term for hot-air ballooners and other high-flyers, they decided to go with astronaut, which had previously appeared in science-fiction literature.

NASAs early astronauts were military test pilots. After a few moon landings, the agency started flying scientists alongside them. In the 1980s, with the Apollo days over and the era of the space shuttle just beginning, NASA introduced two new kinds of astronauts: mission specialists, astronauts who performed experiments and spacewalks but who werent trained to steer the ship, and payload specialists, who were chosen from academia or industry to conduct specific research in space and received far less training than the other classes. At first, some astronauts bristled at these new categories, particularly payload specialists. There was a reluctance to see them as full-fledged astronauts, Alan Ladwig, a former NASA program manager and the author of See You In Orbit? Our Dream of Spaceflight, told me. But they went along with it and smiled for the cameras, reserving their opinions about the politicians who wanted to try it out, and fretting privately about the teacher who was picked as the first ordinary citizen to go.

Excerpt from:

SpaceX and Blue Origin Are Changing Astronaut Culture - The Atlantic