Elon Musk

@elonmusk
"At ~5000 tons, Starship is the largest flying object ever made"

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1768271790596395399

They were going for a simulated landing followed by a crash down in the sea. It appears that 'Starship' burned up at some point in re-entry. Tile failure perhaps, but it appears they gathered data with Starlink right up till the moment of failure.

I guess when ever one can skirt taxes by whatever means for years, they can afford to fund projects such as spacex. I will just leave this right here.
$@&# elon musk!

https://gizmodo.com/tesla-zero-feder...usk-1851335044

Sounds like someone has an axe to grind or is jealous . That's usually the case . Anyway Elon is putting a lot of people to work and is doing some really neat things with his money instead of hoarding it. Keep it up Elon and get'er done.

YEP! Several successes but a lot of work still to be done, especially with the RUD and the rolling during orbital coast.
"For the second time, all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster started up successfully and completed a full-duration burn during ascent.

Starship executed its second successful hot-stage separation, powering down all but three of Super Heavy’s Raptor engines and successfully igniting the six second stage Raptor engines before separating the vehicles.

Following separation, the Super Heavy booster successfully completed its flip maneuver and completed a full boostback burn to send it towards its splashdown point in the Gulf of Mexico.

Super Heavy successfully lit several engines for its first ever landing burn before the vehicle experienced a RUD (that’s SpaceX-speak for “rapid unscheduled disassembly”). The booster’s flight concluded at approximately 462 meters in altitude and just under seven minutes into the mission.

Starship's six second stage Raptor engines all started successfully and powered the vehicle to its expected orbit, becoming the first Starship to complete its full-duration ascent burn.

While coasting, Starship accomplished several of the flight test’s additional objectives, including the opening and closing of its payload door (aka the pez dispenser,) and initiating a propellant transfer demonstration. Starship did not attempt its planned on-orbit relight of a single Raptor engine due to vehicle roll rates during coast. Results from these demonstrations will come after postflight data review is complete.

Starship went on to experience its first ever entry from space, providing valuable data on heating and vehicle control during hypersonic reentry. Live views of entry were made possible by Starlink terminals operating on Starship.

The flight test’s conclusion came during entry, with the last telemetry signals received via Starlink from Starship at approximately 49 minutes into the mission." https://www.spacex.com/launches/miss...rship-flight-3

Max payload to low Earth orbit (kg)
Space Shuttle - 29,000
Falcon Heavy - 63,800
SLS Block 1 - 95,000
Saturn 5 - 118,000
Starship - 100,000
Source: https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy/statu...28145260646740

Elon Musk

@elonmusk
"Max payload of Starship V1 in expendable mode (like the other rockets) is ~200 tons.

V3 is expected to be ~200 tons with full reusability and ~400 tons expendable. Length will grow by 20 to 30 meters and thrust to ~10k tons."
2:44 AM · Mar 15, 2024
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1768543877756060148

I'm with you in distrusting the Ultra Wealthy Elite, however someone once wisely noted "Even on Mt Olympus there are levels". I think it is demonstrably true that trying to equate Elon Musk with the likes of Paris Hilton (and she's not even the worst of Elite Offspring) and Ivanka Trump (just to name a few of the more visible of thousands out of public eye) is absurd. Some Elites and their children avoid taxes (and really, are you imagining that if you were rich you wouldn't hire accountants and money managers to take advantage of every loophole possible to keep what you view as "your money"?) just to buy more cars, yachts, parties, additional Summer homes, or worse, sexual favors and ummm "party favors", while Musk uses his money (even putting his personal wealth "All In" at risk to bring the world freedom from fossil fuels (and their climate effects), "fire escapes" including the possibility of destroying threatening asteroids and comets, worldwide communication where little or none existed, etc etc etc etc.

I'd personally love to see a reduction in corporate welfare, an end to the Lobby System as it exists today, and a shutdown of a massive number of tax dodges, but Musk didn't create that environment and his contribution to the future well-being of all Mankind, seems nearly above reproach. People aren't Binary but net results matters and I think deserves the calculation instead of a lazy, collective, write off.

I dont admire those who like to take advantage of "the system" for their own financial or publicity gain. I put them in the same category as thieves and liars. More power to the both of you and all others who adore such people or entities. "The sheep will follow up until they are slaughtered. By that time, it is too late."

Adore? Not really.... Don't know the guy personally. All I see is results... Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Starship, starlink, moon base, Mars on the radar, etc. Using money to make money for the common good. Things I can only dream about doing but wish I could. A good thing in my mind we have people out there willing push the envelope. Also those yachts, fancy cars, have to be made and maintained, manned, etc. I see jobs coming with the wealth as well as innovation. What's not to like? To bad class envy, bitterness, hate, has to be so prevalent today against those that were willing to stick their neck out there and make good. Way I see it anyway. Not that some things couldn't be made better, but in general... As for take advantage of system, I bet there is not one person out there that is no trying to save a buck at tax time (we made the money and want to keep as much as we can... right?) . Just on a different scale. I do my taxes myself... saves me a few dollars at the tax preparers office... Just one way to save a buck.