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You are here: Home / Archives for Science & Technology / Space

Space

Late Night Open Thread: Another Musk Rocket Goes Boom

by Anne Laurie|  June 20, 202512:10 am| 99 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Science & Technology, Space

ICYMI: Elon Musk's SpaceX suffered another failure and exploded in southern Texas on Wednesday night after experiencing "a major anomaly” at about 11 pm local time on the test launch while preparing for the tenth flight test at Starbase. 
Luckily, no one was hurt or injured.

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— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM


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SpaceX Starship rocket explodes
ABC: A Spacex Starship rocket being tested in Texas exploded Wednesday night, after the craft "experienced a major anomaly" while on the test stand preparing for the tenth flight test at the firm's Starbase facility.

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— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress.onestnetwork.com) June 19, 2025 at 5:19 AM


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“SpaceX is happy to introduce its newest consultant, Michael Bay.”

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— In Two Weeks Hat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 2:09 PM


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At this point it feels like the “major anomaly” for SpaceX are the rare times it *doesn’t* explode?

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— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 11:55 AM


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SpaceX has their tails between their legs. No bravado as usual after they mess up.
Though this "There is no commonality between the COPVs used on Starship and SpaceX’s Falcon rockets" tee shirt has me asking questions answered by the shirt
www.spacex.com/updates/#sta…

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— Rude Law Dog (@esghound.com) June 19, 2025 at 4:24 PM


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SpaceX is short for SpaceXplode

— Thor Benson (@thorbenson.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 1:05 AM


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Anyone still defending SpaceX as a serious organisation is neck-deep in tech-bro Kool-Aid.
It’s no longer a company, it’s a cult propped up by hype, hubris, and government handouts.

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— Dr Farbod (@emergencybod.medsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM


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Stop saying Starship had another failed launch!
It actually exploded before launch so it actually just failed to stand upright.

— Jack (@jackinpogform.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 2:31 PM


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i don’t even think spacex is making rocket, i think they did a pivot to fireworks

— Emma Bolden (@emmabolden.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 3:01 PM


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that’s not fair, parts of it traveled hundreds of feet

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) June 19, 2025 at 9:14 PM


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Maybe NASA should consider contracting with Acme Rocket Company for their heavy lift vehicle. The company always came through for Wiley Coyote, right?

— Gyrogeerloose (@gyrogeerloose.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 1:51 PM


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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to send a cargo ship to Mars by the end of next year. Here’s why that plan likely won’t pan out.

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— CNN (@cnn.com) June 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM

Late Night Open Thread: Another Musk Rocket Goes BoomPost + Comments (99)

Late Night Open Thread: Undefeated

by Anne Laurie|  May 29, 20252:33 am| 174 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, Space, Elon Musk

lol spacex has apparently lost attitude control of the big metal spaceship after the cargo bay door failed to perform a simulated satellite deployment

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— e.w. niedermeyer (@niedermeyer.online) May 27, 2025 at 8:09 PM


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I dunno, man. These rapid unscheduled disassemblies seem like they all keep happening right on schedule.

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— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha1.bsky.social) May 27, 2025 at 8:44 PM


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By "80%" Elon really meant 0%

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— Anthony Pesec (@anthonypesec.bsky.social) May 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM


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have been watching a documentary about starbase, that town elon musk is using to destroy the world and burst out laughing at this part about cybertrucks

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— onion person (@junlper.beer) May 28, 2025 at 8:13 PM


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show full post on front page

UNDEFEATED
bsky.app/profile/maxt…

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— e.w. niedermeyer (@niedermeyer.online) May 27, 2025 at 8:14 PM


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Elon Musk donating $300 million to Trump and the Republican Party is fucking insane. This is exactly why we need massive campaign finance reform to save our democracy.

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— Mike Nellis (@mikenellis.bsky.social) May 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM


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Elon Musk gave about $250 million more to Republicans than the next closest Democratic billionaire (Bloomberg). Dems have nothing close—except low-dollar online donors, which is why Trump’s going after ActBlue.

— Mike Nellis (@mikenellis.bsky.social) May 28, 2025 at 9:57 AM

Late Night Open Thread: UndefeatedPost + Comments (174)

Tragedies of the Commons…

by Tom Levenson|  March 18, 20254:25 pm| 117 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Science & Technology, Space

…or How moving fast and breaking things…breaks more than just things

(Crossposted with Inverse Square)

So…it turns out that among his many other sins, Elon Musk, with a boost from the now-unmentionable fact of climate changes, is turning low earth orbit into an overgrazed commons…to the impoverishment of us all. That’s the message of this study, published last week in Nature Sustainability. That work explores the effects of injecting anthropogenic (AKA us) greenhouse gases on the thermosphere—the bit of the upper atmosphere that extends all the way into Low Earth Orbit (LEO, up to 2000 kilometers above the planet).

The TL:DR is that climate change heats the earth’s surface, but cools and shrinks the higher-up regions of the atmosphere. That in turn means satellites in low earth orbit experience less atmospheric drag. Which leads to the following problem: without such drag bits of space junk don’t get slowed down…which means their orbits don’t decay (as fast) and they don’t burn up. As the corresponding author of this work, MIT graduate student William Parker put it in an interview with the MIT news office, “The sky is quite literally falling — just at a rate that’s on the scale of decades…And we can see this by how the drag on our satellites is changing.”

More dead satellites and orbital debris boosts the risk of collisions that knock out still-useful spacecraft. Such wrecks generate more debris, which makes crashes yet more likely, until it becomes too dangerous to try to park a satellite in some patches of space. And when that happens, a global commons will have been tragically exhausted.

Bit of backstory here: the idea of a common is an old one. In practice, it probably dates back to the beginnings of anything resembling hominid society, and as an explicit term in property law (in England, at least) it extends back to the feudal manorial system.

The basic concept is simple, and kind of evident in the name. A common is (in its first incarnation) some bit of land on which the people who live on or around could do something—the ability to use the property for one or more purposes, usually up to some defined limit. For example, someone could hold the right to graze five sheep, or gather some amount of wood, or some similar privilege.

Tragedies of the Commons...

 

Note the idea of limits—constraints on an individual’s use of a common resource. Our commoner (!) could put five sheep out to nibble…not six or seven or any number they chose. And if it turned out that the already granted rights of pasturage were too much in a bad year, existing rights could be reduced. All of which is to say that on a lasting, well run common property, its use was tightly regulated. If that weren’t so…well that’s where the tragedy comes in. If any member of commons can run as many ewes as they want on a field of grass then the endgame comes fast: the meadow gets munched down to the roots and its carrying capacity drops. Fewer animals can graze and everyone grows poorer.

Historically, lots of commons have avoided this outcome. They have been actively managed and the commoners involved in any given set of rights have policed potentially cheats with great assiduity.

But, beginning perhaps in the 19th century, certainly by the 20th, new kinds of commons have emerged that have proved much more difficult to police. Think the oceans and overfishing, or of the use of air, land, and water as depositories for pollution, or (my current focus) a way of thinking that sees the effectiveness of antibiotics as a kind of commons that can be destroyed by uses that promote antibiotic resistance. And, of course, there is the most common commons of them all: the earth’s atmosphere, in which the tragedy of billions of individual decisions (and national and multi-national corporate choices) is producing profound physical and chemical changes on a planetary scale.

Back to the cooling thermosphere and the rise of space junk. In the study authors’ analysis, less drag leading to longer decay times for debris will reduce the carrying capacity of some or all of the LEO region. As they write, “the worst-case scenario capacity carries many fewer satellites across broad swaths of LEO by the year 2100.”

2100 is a bit of ways out. But the problem is already here. Why? Because of Musk and a handful of other overgrazers of this space-commons. Here’s what’s happening, again, as told to the MIT news office:

Their predictions forecast out to the year 2100, but the team says that certain shells in the atmosphere today are already crowding up with satellites, particularly from recent “megaconstellations” such as SpaceX’s Starlink, which comprises fleets of thousands of small internet satellites.

“The megaconstellation is a new trend, and we’re showing that because of climate change, we’re going to have a reduced capacity in orbit,” [MIT associate professor Richard] Linares says. “And in local regions, we’re close to approaching this capacity value today.”

In other words: as Musk and his minions are attacking the US federal gov’t efforts to combat climate change, he’s running his space-grab as fast as he can, to the point where we may lose access to the territory currently used by everything from earth sensing satellites, the Hubble Space Telescope, both the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong sation, not to mention a wealth of communications satellite (including Starlink, of course).

The response is obvious, previewed in the history of the commons. Resources that belong to/are valuable to society (or societies) as a whole need to be closely regulated. We have to make sure that the asshole in the third cottage down doesn’t ruin it for everyone by grabbing the temporary advantage of running some extra livestock on the pasture. In other words: we have to tell Musk and his ilk that a common resource like low earth orbit—is not one in which they can do whatever they want.

Of course, the idea of regulating global commons is exactly the antithesis to the Silicon Valley “move fast and break things” credo, the one Musk embodies, of course. But as that techno-capitalist view takes hold it’s important to recognize how unsustainably extractive it is in many domains—and how much can be broken.

I have little hope of anything moving to protect LEO as a resource under the current regime, nor any of the other crucial modern commons. But here’s the thing: nature, the material world we inhabit, gets its vote too. It doesn’t care if MAGAts think climate change is a hoax (or rather, that elite MAGAts are happy to suggest it’s a hoax to squeeze the next dollar out of a declining resource). Elementary physics tells us that if we go on as we are now, the troposphere will shrink and satellites will crash. That’s reality. I hope that we can minimize the cost of our education at the hands of this most explicit of teachers. But pay we will.

And in the meantime…open thread.

Image:  Thomas Sidney Cooper, Shepherd with Sheep,  1868

Tragedies of the Commons…Post + Comments (117)

Monday Morning Open Thread: St. Padraig’s Day

by Anne Laurie|  March 17, 20256:25 am| 322 Comments

This post is in: Music, Open Threads, Space

Honoring my ancestors by engaging in our traditions this st. Patrick’s day (alcoholism, political violence)

— William B. Fuckley (@opinionhaver.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM

And nursing old grievances, our most longstanding political tradition!

EXCLUSIVE: This just happened onstage in front of 6,000 Bostonians at the Dropkick Murphys concert. "This is America, no kings here!" Dropkick Murphys nails it again!! pic.twitter.com/kLUd7IVDMV

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) March 16, 2025

Shout-out to much-missed commentor LilBitBrit…

Here we see Saint Patrick facing the prospect of having to go over, again, how—like so many supposedly “national” dishes from Italy to China and beyond—Corned Beef and Cabbage originated in America, most likely in New York, and most Irish people did not in fact grow up eating it.

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— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy.co) March 16, 2025 at 5:48 PM

show full post on front page

(True! As a result of the Great Famine, thousands of Irish ‘girls’ emigrated to America — primarily New York & Boston, because the fares there were cheaper — and took up domestic service with prosperous German-ancestry Jewish families. Corned beef was the fancy weekend dish in those families, and the ‘girls’ didn’t have much knowledge of cooking apart from potatoes, so they celebrated their newfound immigrant prosperity with corned beef… and, of course, potatoes.)

Earnest! Constructive!…

Lá Fhéile Phádraig sona daoibh ☘️

St Patrick’s Day provides a unique and special moment to connect with people around the world of Irish descent, and to showcase Irish culture and heritage. pic.twitter.com/T2uNeBUVow

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 17, 2025

General political update, grudging credit to SpaceX:

BREAKING: A SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. https://t.co/ksmlO5lXZO

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 16, 2025

And, yes, if you weren’t reading over the weekend: The Oval Office Occupant signed the Continuing Resolution, so the government is (theoretically) funded through September.

Monday Morning Open Thread: St. Padraig’s DayPost + Comments (322)

Thursday Morning (the 13th) Open Thread: Blood Moon Rising

by Anne Laurie|  March 13, 20257:27 am| 241 Comments

This post is in: How about that weather?, Open Threads, Space, Trump-Musk

The Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse happens this week.
We will be treated to over one hour of the moon turning RED.
The totality of the lunar eclipse will begin around 1:26 AM & end around 2:31 AM CDT early Friday morning & overall the eclipse will occur between 10:57 PM Thursday & 5 AM CDT Friday

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— Susan DuBose (@houseofbast777.bsky.social) March 10, 2025 at 7:17 AM

The “Blood Moon” is, of course, a totally predictable and not-all-that-uncommon astrophysical occurrence, and it would be silly to assign a larger sociopolitical meaning to this or any other such event. But we’re pattern-making animals, so it’s kinda fun!

Next Friday, March 14, skywatchers are in for a dramatic treat: a total lunar eclipse combined with a blood moon.
Here’s how—and when—to watch it in your area.

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— WIRED (@wired.com) March 8, 2025 at 7:01 PM

Wired, backstopping its excellent recent political coverage — “How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse and Blood Moon This Month”:

… During a lunar eclipse, Earth blocks the light from the sun that normally illuminates the moon. On the night of March 13 and the early morning of the 14th, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, will cover the moon during its brightest phase. Partial lunar eclipses are relatively common—but those like this that coincide with a full moon are a relative rarity. On average, each region of Earth has the chance to view a total lunar eclipse only once every 2.5 years…

The moon appears red during a lunar eclipse because of how the sun’s light interacts with Earth’s atmosphere. Visible sunlight appears white, but is actually made up of combination of lights of different colors and frequencies, which can be defracted or scattered depending on how much of the atmosphere they have to travel through. It is for this reason that the sky appears blue when the sun is high in the sky but is often red at sunset, when the sun is low and its light is traveling longer distances through the atmosphere.

When sunlight hits Earth’s atmosphere during a lunar eclipse, light frequencies toward the blue end of the visible spectrum are scattered outward, away from Earth’s umbra, but those with longer wavelengths, toward the red part of the spectrum, are bent inward and cast onto the moon…

To observe the spectacle, astronomers recommend staying away from large cities with high levels of light pollution. They also recommend going to high places without visual barriers such as buildings or trees. “Try binoculars or a telescope for a better view. If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds,” NASA suggests.

The Washington Post says that “The eclipse begins at 11:57 p.m. Eastern, starts an hour-long totality at 2:26 a.m. and ends at 6 a.m.”

show full post on front page

Unfortunately for those of us in the Northeast, weather forecasters (and my arthritic joints) predict less-than-stellar viewing conditions around here:
Thursday the 13th Morning Open Thread: Blood Moon Rising

======

Speaking of predictable, yet rather more horrifying, events…

Something I've been chatting with someone about in DMs is I think worth bringing up quickly: Regardless of what happens with this CR, this GOP trifecta is quite possibly the most inept legislative governing body I've ever seen.

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) March 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM

In previous administrations, trifectas have led to multiple legislative priorities being finalized within the first fifty days. Even in 2017, the GOP was ~*doing stuff*~.
Now? They can barely pass a CR! Not a budget, a CR!

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) March 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM

Think to yourself: What win does the Trump administration actually have right now? What can it actually point at?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No legislation, no real big executive wins (even in immigration or deportations!). Just a bunch of dudes stripping the walls for parts.

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) March 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM

Thursday Morning (the 13th) Open Thread: Blood Moon RisingPost + Comments (241)

Friday Evening Cheap Shots Open Thread: Rapid! Unscheduled! Disassembly!

by Anne Laurie|  March 7, 20257:23 pm| 111 Comments

This post is in: Republicans in Disarray!, Space, Tech News and Issues, Elon Musk

Because sometimes we need an easy laugh. *Everything’s* a metaphor, now…

Breakup of SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Disrupts Florida Airports
Video showed the upper stage of the most powerful rocket ever built spinning out of control in space, a repeat of an unsuccessful test flight in January that led to debris falling over the Caribbean.
By Ken Chang
nyti.ms/41KW7oK

[image or embed]

— Eric Lipton NYT (@ericlipton.nytimes.com) March 6, 2025 at 7:46 PM

SpaceX still calling it a "rapid unscheduled disassembly." Also known as an explosion that sent debris falling over thousands of miles.

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— Eric Lipton NYT (@ericlipton.nytimes.com) March 6, 2025 at 8:05 PM

FAA grounds SpaceX Starship yet again. It will not be able to fly again until SpaceX completes an investigation into this accident. Although the investigation from January's flight explosion did not last much longer than a month.

[image or embed]

— Eric Lipton NYT (@ericlipton.nytimes.com) March 6, 2025 at 8:24 PM

Didn’t Trump say he’s asked Elon Musk to take the Space X Starship to the International Space Station to pick up the two astronauts who were stranded up there?

— It’s Too Early For This (@not2early.bsky.social) March 6, 2025 at 8:28 PM

[image or embed]

— Plantsmantx.bsky.social (@plantsmantx.bsky.social) March 6, 2025 at 10:18 PM

Friday Evening Cheap Shots Open Thread: <em>Rapid! Unscheduled! Disassembly!</em>Post + Comments (111)

Space News: Firefly Blue Ghost Sticks The Landing

by TaMara|  March 5, 202512:29 am| 35 Comments

This post is in: Science & Technology, Space

Mar 4, 2025

Watch Firefly land on the Moon! After identifying surface hazards and selecting a safe landing site, Blue Ghost landed directly over the target in Mare Crisium. Our Ghost Riders have since downlinked our landing footage for the world to see — a historic moment on March 2 we’ll never forget. We have Moon dust on our boots!

 

Well, I have clearly been out of the loop because, until yesterday, I had no idea any of this was going. I saw a quick blurb about Firefly Aerospace was going to attempt a landing, and I was like, who? what?

If you want to know more, here is their website: Firefly Aerospace, and a lot more videos here.

***

For about six weeks in the gloom of late winter, I listen to Zydeco music, awaiting spring.  So here’s a bit of a musical interlude, too

Consider this a late-night distraction so you can sleep thread. Maybe talk about other good news?

Space News: Firefly Blue Ghost Sticks The LandingPost + Comments (35)

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