Big Day for Science
This morning Space X failed to reach orbit with the new Starship. This was a test of the largest rocket ever made. One that is designed to take cargo and people not only off the planet, but to Mars. An incredible undertaking when one thinks of it. Many cannot get to that point because they hate Elon Musk.
It is much more important these days to shit all over people who are actually trying to make a difference. Those who are trying to improve our way of life, further science, or accomplish the impossible. Space X is actually trying to do that. You might be interested to find out that they are actually partnered with NASA and are the main reason why NASA is trying to get off the planet and back to the stars. It’s not just Musk. It’s NASA as well. These are our scientists working with business to accomplish space travel.
So as you’re working so hard to shit all over Musk for his politics, business acumen, handling of Twitter, blunt force transparency in how the governments works social media, remember you’re shitting on actual scientists trying to go where no person has gone before. Scientists who are trying to accomplish a feat that until recently was impossible. Something that can lead to new discoveries and bettering of all humans.
Today was actually a great day for science. The massive vehicle flew 24 miles up and the separation between mainstage and the Super Heavy stage just didn’t sever the connection. It’s an expensive growing pain, but one that is going to lead to better technology and get us even closer to Mars and other improvements in space travel.
Stats on the Starship Rocket
Liftoff from Starbase pic.twitter.com/rgpc2XO7Z9
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 20, 2023
394 feet tall or 40 stories. It’s a skyscraper being sent into space
Weighs 5k tonnes or 11,000,000lbs
Space X Starship Site
Since we have forgotten or are in denial of history, here's a list of notable NASA rockets that didn’t make it to orbit prior to our finally getting it right. We have to crawl before we can walk. We have to walk before we can run.
Vanguard TV3: This was the first rocket NASA tried to launch on December 6, 1957, but it exploded shortly after liftoff.
Explorer 1: After the failure of Vanguard TV3, NASA successfully launched the Explorer 1 satellite on January 31, 1958, using a modified version of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency's Jupiter-C rocket
Pioneer 0: NASA's first attempt to launch a lunar probe ended in failure on August 17, 1958, when the Pioneer 0 rocket exploded shortly after launch
Pioneer 1: NASA's second attempt to launch a lunar probe was more successful, but the Pioneer 1 rocket fell short of the moon's surface and entered into a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth on October 11, 1958.
Explorer 3: Launched on March 26, 1958, Explorer 3 was the first satellite to measure the Earth's magnetic field from space. It was launched using a modified Jupiter-C rocket.
Mercury-Redstone 1: The Mercury-Redstone program was NASA's first manned spaceflight program, and the first test flight of the Mercury-Redstone rocket on November 21, 1960, ended in failure due to a range safety officer error.
Mercury-Redstone 3: The third flight of the Mercury-Redstone rocket, also known as the Freedom 7 mission, was successful and launched astronaut Alan Shepard into space on May 5, 1961.