In an engineering feat, mechanical SpaceX arms catch Starship rocket booster back at the launch pad

[K.I.T.T.]

SpaceX pulled off the boldest test flight yet of its enormous Starship rocket on Sunday, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with mechanical arms.

A jubilant Elon Musk called it “science fiction without the fiction part.”

Towering almost 400 feet (121 meters), the empty Starship blasted off at sunrise from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border. It arced over the Gulf of Mexico like the four Starships before it that ended up being destroyed, either soon after liftoff or while ditching into the sea. The previous one in June had been the most successful until Sunday's demo, completing its flight without exploding.

This time, Musk, SpaceX's CEO and founder, upped the challenge for the rocket that he plans to use to send people back to the moon and on to Mars.

At the flight director's command, the first-stage booster flew back to the launch pad where it had blasted off seven minutes earlier. The launch tower's monstrous metal arms, dubbed chopsticks, caught the descending 232-foot (71-meter) booster and gripped it tightly, dangling it well above the ground.

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[Bad Hippo]

SuperHeavy performed spectacularly.
A successful capture on the first attempt? You can tell that SpaceX have learned a lot with all the Falcon 9 landings, on land and on their droneships. There was never a doubt in my mind that SuperHeavy would return flawlessly. The real question was would the chopsticks catch, and hold the booster...

And they did.

 

[45cal1911]

Trump, Vance, Elon Musk 👍

 

[DokraOwl]

If Musk physically travels to Mars he could claim the planet for himself and all the resources on it, which is insane to think about. 1000 years from now his children may still own large swaths of its surface through inheritance. They will live there, each in command of legions of workers who toil in the agriculture domes and mineral mines.

 

[j.f.🔎]

If Musk physically travels to Mars he could claim the planet for himself and all the resources on it, which is insane to think about. 1000 years from now his children may still own large swaths of its surface through inheritance and live there comanding legions of workers in the vast agriculture domes and mineral mines.

So Neil Armstrong owns the moon!?!

 

[K.I.T.T.]

If Musk physically travels to Mars he could claim the planet for himself and all the resources on it, which is insane to think about.

As much as I like that idea, no he can't:

"On Jan. 27, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, already adopted by the U.N.’s General Assembly, opened for signature. In the midst of the Cold War, the treaty provided a hopeful moment of international agreement—especially because the U.S. and Russia were among the more than 60 countries to sign it on that first day. The treaty declared that the moon and other “celestial bodies” were “the province of all mankind” and can only be used for peaceful purposes.

The treaty that was eventually adopted explicitly addresses the issue of ownership of space, stating that there shall be “free access to all areas of celestial bodies” and that outer space “is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.” Not only can states not claim ownership of anything in outer space—they even have to allow any other nation access to their installations—but the treaty also extends to the non-governmental entities that, under the aegis of a signatory state, may participate in exploration there.

The treaty also keeps weapons of mass destruction out of orbit, bans military activity in space and asks that states inform the public and scientific community “of the nature, conduct, locations and results” of any outer space activities."
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[Bad Hippo]

So Neil Armstrong owns the moon!?!

Pretty certain that Neil gave up his rights to the Moon when he announced that he did it for all mankind.

 

[DokraOwl]

So Neil Armstrong owns the moon!?!

No, because he didn't own the company that got him there. NASA is publicly owned so all his adventures were in the name of America's people.

 

[Bad Hippo]

can only be used for peaceful purposes.

When the fuck has mankind done anything for peaceful purposes?

 

[DokraOwl]

As much as I like that idea, no he can't:

On Jan. 27, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, already adopted by the U.N.’s General Assembly, opened for signature. In the midst of the Cold War, the treaty provided a hopeful moment of international agreement—especially because the U.S. and Russia were among the more than 60 countries to sign it on that first day. The treaty declared that the moon and other “celestial bodies” were “the province of all mankind” and can only be used for peaceful purposes.
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Laws mean nothing if you're the only person with the ability to travel to and maintain a new territory. The Earth governments can try to stop him all they want but once Elon is on the moon with enough resources to make it self sustainable he won't need to listen to the laws of Earth. Just like the 13 colonies disregarded the laws of the Crown in 1776.

 

[K.I.T.T.]

When the fuck has mankind done anything for peaceful purposes?

Literally every single day for all of recorded history.

 

[Bad Hippo]

Literally every single day for all of recorded history.

OK, smartass. What have YOU done today that promoted peace in the world?

 

[K.I.T.T.]

Laws mean nothing if you're the only person with the ability to travel to and maintain a new territory. The Earth governments can try to stop him all they want but once Elon is on the moon with enough resources to make it self sustainable he won't need to listen to the laws of Earth. Just like the 13 colonies disregarded the laws of the Crown in 1776.

You're forgetting that he still requires permission to launch anything from the surface of this planet and I imagine the legal documents he's required to sign are quite lengthy. Besides, Elon isn't the kind of guy to exclude anyone.

 

[j.f.🔎]

Pretty certain that Neil gave up his rights to the Moon when he announced that he did it for all mankind.

No, because he didn't own the company that got him there. NASA is publicly owned so all his adventures were in the name of America's people.

So is it Americas moon or Mankinds moon? I'm confused now.
Mankinds moon has a better ring to it tbh.

 

[DokraOwl]

You're forgetting that he still requires permission to launch anything from the surface of this planet and I imagine the legal documents he's required to sign are quite lengthy. Besides, Elon isn't the kind of guy to exclude anyone.

He's not going to declare himself Mar's Emperor until he doesn't need Earth anymore. He'll have no reason to return to Earth once he has agriculture, mines, and factories all operating on Mars. Plus he may meet a sexy alien bride up there to make his queen 😛👽

 

[K.I.T.T.]

OK, smartass. What have YOU done today that promoted peace in the world?

I gave to my church, just like I do every Sunday. That money is used for all kinds of humanitarian purposes. My conscience is clean. What about yours?

 

[Bad Hippo]

he still requires permission to launch

Actually, he only needs FAA permission if he wants to make repeated launches.

I'm confident that if Elon Musk wanted to launch something, and he had no need to make further launches afterwards, (or if he was skipping the planet to go live in space, The Moon, or Mars), he's just give the FAA the middle finger, and just do it. Perks of being super-rich, and egotistical.

Heck, I would if I was in his shoes. Fuck the FAA.

my church

Ah the Church. That well known force for good.....

HEAVY SARCASM

So is it Americas moon or Mankinds moon? I'm confused now.
Mankinds moon has a better ring to it tbh.

If the USA owned the moon, you just know they'd draw a massive Stars & Stripes on the surface, just to piss off Putin/The Russians.

 

[mjb0206]

So Neil Armstrong owns the moon!?!

Excellent response. That was awesome.

 

[K.I.T.T.]

Ah the Church. That well known force for good.....

HEAVY SARCASM

That's a completely difference conversation/topic. I donated specifically to help with humanitarian efforts in Florida. I also donated to the Red Cross and to The Salvation Army.

As far as space flight goes, there's a hell of a lot more regulatory red-tape to cut besides that of the FAA.

 

[Bad Hippo]

humanitarian efforts in Florida.

That's very noble of you.