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Space X News
Insider
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Rocket Lab's CEO practices founder mode like Elon Musk — but he'd rather pan for gold on Earth than live on Mars
- Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, has no desire to go to space, preferring to stay within Earth's atmosphere. He enjoys flying helicopters and panning for gold in New Zealand as a way to relax. Rocket Lab competes with better-funded rivals like SpaceX, which Beck describes as its 'superpower.' The company is an 'end-to-end space company', employing over 2,000 people globally. While Elon Musk has grand plans of colonizing Mars, Beck prefers to 'dig in a creek with a spade' and search for gold as a way of relaxing.
- Rocket Lab's stock price has reached new heights following strong Q3 earnings and a deal for two missions with an undisclosed commercial satellite constellation operator. The company's partially reusable two-stage rocket vehicle, Electron, has launched 198 satellites and beat Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to orbit. Despite Rocket Lab's relatively low valuation compared to SpaceX, Beck is not fazed, preferring to focus on execution and 'the right areas.'
- Beck has a detailed morning routine that begins before 5 a.m. He starts by checking his emails and does not drink coffee. His day is dictated by the company's projects and launch schedule.
- While Beck values his management team, he prefers a hands-on leadership approach, even for 'really shitty jobs'.
- Running a rocket company is a high-pressure job as the company needs to make the right decisions both from an engineering and business standpoint. To Beck, 'running a rocket company is like running through a maze in the middle of the night'.
- Despite the competitive nature of the space industry, Beck believes that the relationship between Elon Musk and the Trump administration will not lead to any 'funny business' with SpaceX's government contracts.
- Beck describes Rocket Lab as an 'end-to-end space company', providing launch services, spacecraft, satellite components, and on-orbit management.
- Beck practices founder mode and believes in a hands-on approach, preferring to be in the thick of things himself rather than subscribing to a top-down leadership style.
- Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket, set to debut in 2025, represents a pivotal part of the company's business. The company sees the Neutron rocket as suitable for deploying satellite constellations, carrying out national security missions, or conducting science and exploration projects.
- Beck's morning routine starts before 5 a.m and he does not drink coffee. He often spends his days at the office before heading back home for dinner with his family.
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Silicon
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SpaceX Prepares Tender Offer At $250bn Valuation
- SpaceX plans to begin a tender offer in December to sell existing shares at around $135 per share, valuing the company at over $250bn.
- xAI, an AI start-up controlled by Elon Musk, has raised $5bn at a valuation of $45bn, almost double its previous valuation of $24bn.
- The xAI funding round was oversubscribed and featured only investors who supported xAI in its previous round.
- The incoming Trump administration is expected to introduce policies favorable to Musk's companies, including reducing regulatory oversight of SpaceX.
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Siliconangle
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Accused of violating labor rights, Amazon and SpaceX attack US labor board in court
- Attorneys for Amazon and SpaceX argued in a federal appeals court that the National Labor Relations Board is unconstitutional.
- Both companies believe that the labor agency has unchecked power and can shape labor laws.
- The lawsuits could impact workers' ability to fight for better working conditions and make it more difficult to form unions.
- Amazon and SpaceX claim that the structure of the NLRB is unconstitutional and seek to challenge its authority.
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Insider
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A $40 Optimus robot figurine is the latest addition to Tesla's merch line — see the other wacky items it's sold
- Elon Musk's companies have sold a range of quirky merchandise, from 'Not-a-Flamethrower' to surfboards.
- Tesla's latest product is a $40 Optimus Gen 2 humanoid robot figure.
- Tesla has sold battery-powered cars for kids, miniature Model S, and My First Model Y car.
- The Boring Company, under Musk's leadership, sold 20,000 limited-edition flamethrowers.
- Tesla short shorts and surfboards have also been popular items for sale.
- Tesla has released Teslaquila at $250 per bottle and sipping glasses for $75.
- SpaceX released a Starship Torch, shaped like a rocket, and Musk has sold Burnt Hair fragrance for $100 a bottle.
- Tesla cat bed and Cyberbeer modeled after Cybertruck were among the unusual items.
- Tesla Cybertruck for kids is designed for ages 6 to 12 and sold for $1,500.
- Tesla Mezcal, sold for $450 per bottle, is described as 'smoky and floral with a smooth finish.'
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Insider
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Trump's new FCC pick is a win for Elon Musk
- Brendan Carr, the top Republican on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the chair of the FCC.
- Carr is an ally of Elon Musk and has previously supported Musk's company, Starlink.
- As chair of the FCC, Carr will have the power to boost Musk's business interests.
- Carr's nomination still needs to be confirmed by the Senate.
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Spaceflightnow
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Live coverage: SpaceX to launch India’s GSAT-N2 satellite on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
- SpaceX is launching its second customer mission in less than 24 hours, this time launching the Geosynchronous SATellite N2 for NewSpace India Limited.
- The Geosynchronous SATellite N2 (GSAT-N2) is NSIL’s second so-called Demand-driven satellite.
- Monday afternoon’s launch will mark the first time that SpaceX launches a payload for Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
- The GSAT-N2 satellite weighs 4,700 kg (10,362 lbs) at liftoff and is designed to last 14 years in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO).
- GSAT-N2 is set to enhance broadband services and in-flight connectivity (IFC) across the Indian region.
- The spacecraft uses monomethylhydrazine (MMH) for fuel and a nitric oxide (MON3) as the oxidizer.
- Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1073 is set to touchdown on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions.’
- The overall body of the spacecraft is build upon what ISRO calls its standard Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-based I4K bus.
- This will be the first time SpaceX launches a payload for India, boosting ab ultimately Of India's own domestic launch capability.
- There is a very little concern for any violations due to clouds and 45th Weather Squadron forecast a greater than 95 percent chance of favourable weather at liftoff.
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Tech Story
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SpaceX and Amazon Challenge the National Labor Relations Board’s Authority
- SpaceX and Amazon are challenging the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a legal battle, questioning its authority and constitutionality.
- Both companies argue that the NLRB's structure violates constitutional principles and gives it too much power.
- The case will be heard in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has a conservative reputation and could set a precedent for future challenges against the NLRB.
- If successful, this legal challenge could have significant consequences for workers' rights and weaken the NLRB's role in enforcing labor laws.
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Universe Today
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The New Mars Landing Approach: How We’ll Land Large Payloads on the Red Planet
- Landing a human mission on the Red Planet might be impossible due to the combination of Mars' ultra-thin atmosphere and the ultra-large size of spacecraft needed for human missions.
- Having perfectly landed Mars rover missions, Rob Manning suggested that such a mission might not be possible. But due to 20 years of work and research, the outlook has vastly improved.
- Mars' atmosphere provides challenges not found on Earth or Moon; a large, heavy spacecraft only has a few minutes to slow down from incoming interplanetary speeds to under Mach 1 before transitioning to a lander.
- The Supersonic Transition Problem arises from a velocity-altitude gap below Mach 5 where there is too much atmosphere on Mars to land heavy vehicles like we do on Moon using propulsive technology alone.
- SpaceX's supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) maneuver demonstrated that using the propulsion system and firing engines backward to shed velocity works, which is only one of the leading means of landing heavy equipment, habitats and even humans on Mars.
- The EDL team believes that SRP is the only Mars entry, descent and landing technology that is intrinsically scalable across a wide range and size of missions to shed enough velocity during atmospheric flight to enable safe landings.
- Numerous logistical issues remain unsolved when it comes to landing a human mission on Mars such as how the big spacecraft like the Starship will be steered and flown through Mars' atmosphere.
- Landing a human mission on Mars will take a lot of time, with over 26 months to prepare for each launch window since it is challenging to achieve trial and error results when needed.
- The supersonic retropropulsion question has now been answered, but there are still many unknowns that need addressing.
- Mars presents a new set of challenges, and the team will need to take lessons learned from their successful missions while anticipating new obstacles.
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Spaceflightnow
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SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from California
- SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 20 Starlink satellites from California.
- The mission included 13 satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities.
- The Falcon 9 booster successfully landed on the SpaceX droneship.
- Three more launches are needed to complete the first satellite constellation for Starlink Direct to Cell.
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Digitaltrends
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SpaceX shares photos of Starship ahead of sixth flight on Tuesday
- SpaceX is preparing for the sixth test flight of its Starship rocket from its facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
- The launch, originally scheduled for Monday, November 18, has been postponed to Tuesday, November 19.
- SpaceX has released images of the 120-meter-tall Starship, indicating it is ready for the upcoming flight.
- The Starship is the most powerful rocket ever built and could be used for crew and cargo transportation to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
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TechCrunch
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The Exploration Company raises $160M to build Europe’s answer to SpaceX Dragon
- The Exploration Company has raised $160 million in a Series B funding round to develop Europe's first reusable space capsule.
- The funding will support the continued development of the Nyx spacecraft, capable of carrying 3,000 kilograms of cargo to and from Earth.
- The company aims to conduct Nyx's maiden flight to and from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2028.
- The Exploration Company's funding round was mainly backed by private investors, in contrast to SpaceX's Dragon capsule which was primarily funded by NASA.
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Spaceflightnow
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Live coverage: SpaceX to launch mystery ‘Optus-X’ on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center
- SpaceX is preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket with a payload that has been shrouded in secrecy to the point of not disclosing any specifics of the mission.
- All regulatory filings and U.S. government agencies like the Space Force and the Federal Aviation Administration call the payload ‘Optus-X,’ while SpaceX calls the mission ‘TD7.’
- The launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is targeting the beginning of an almost two-hour launch window, which opens at 4:29 p.m. EST.
- Weather for launch is about as good as it gets on Florida’s Space Coast.
- Following liftoff, SpaceX will have tied the total number of Space Shuttle launches from Launch Complex 39A with just its Falcon 9 rocket.
- Booster recovery area does remain somewhat of a watch item.
- The payload flying on the mission dubbed ‘TD7’ on SpaceX’s webpage will head to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
- The name ‘Optus-X’ was referenced by the FAA in its flight schedule and by the U.S. Space Force when making its launch weather forecast.
- Filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) state that Optus is a subsidiary of Singtel Optus Pty. Ltd., which in turn is a subsidiary of Singapore Telecom Australia Investments Pty. Ltd.
- A Northrop Grumman official referred questions about the mission to Optus, which has not responded to Spaceflight Now’s requests for additional information.
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Crypto-News-Flash
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HBAR Goes to Space! SpaceX and Hedera to Pioneer Satellite Payment Networks
- Hedera Hashgraph is partnering with SpaceX to power satellite payment networks in space.
- Hedera's ability to process trillions of transactions per second and track space traffic makes it an ideal choice.
- The partnership could revolutionize satellite-to-satellite payment networks and transform transactions across Earth and space.
- Hedera's Hashgraph technology can secure satellite communication, tokenize resources from asteroid mining, enable space supply chain management, track and manage space traffic, and facilitate smart contracts for autonomous spacecraft and vehicles.
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TechCrunch
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SpaceX Starship: Everything you’ve ever wondered but were afraid to ask
- SpaceX's Starship test program is getting more and more attention as the company demonstrates more capabilities.
- Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built standing nearly 400 feet tall.
- The rocket consists of two stages: the Super Heavy booster and the second stage (Starship) with a 16.7 million pounds of thrust and the capacity to carry 100-150 tons of cargo and crew.
- Starship the rocket will be fully reusable for the first time in rocketry history that could drive Starship costs down to $2-3 million per launch.
- The rocket now known as Starship has gone under a few different names, earlier referred as BFS (Big Falcon Rocket/Ship), Mars Colonial Transporter, and the Interplanetary Transport System.
- The program for Starship accelerated because of a $4 billion Human Landing System (HLS) award from NASA and Starlink, SpaceX's internet satellite constellation.
- Starship has the potential to fundamentally transform the space economy as it will be a fully reusable launch vehicle.
- NASA awarded SpaceX the HLS award for the Artemis program, ensuring America’s continued supremacy in space.
- According to Musk’s estimate, Starship will launch to Mars in 2026. For Mars, Starship would need a Starship tanker that’s hanging out in orbit to transfer propellant to the main vehicle.
- The Starship that will go to Mars will not look exactly like the ones flying today and instead will be as tall as 500 feet.
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Insider
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Elon Musk and Sam Altman founded OpenAI together, but now trade barbs. Here's the history of their working relationship and feud.
- Elon Musk and Sam Altman cofounded OpenAI in 2015 alongside other tech leaders, aiming to develop AI for humanity’s benefit. Musk, a vocal critic of AI risks, stepped down from OpenAI’s board in 2018, citing disagreements over its direction and potential conflicts with Tesla's AI efforts.
- Tensions escalated when Musk’s proposal to run OpenAI was rejected, leading him to withdraw funding. He has since criticized OpenAI for becoming profit-driven and less transparent.
- Despite these conflicts, Altman has called Musk a hero, acknowledging his concern for AI’s future. Recently, both signed a letter urging a pause on advanced AI development.
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