Latest news with #Heavy
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SpaceX to launch Starship on Flight 9 from South Texas: Here's what company is planning
SpaceX's massive Starship launch vehicle, which is due to play a key role in future crewed space missions, is due to get off the ground on its latest test flight. The upcoming launch, slated for Tuesday, May 27, from SpaceX's launch site in South Texas, would be the commercial spaceflight company's first test of Starship since the spacecraft's upper portion exploded in March for the second consecutive time. For the next test mission, referred to as Flight 9, SpaceX said it has made modifications to the 400-foot vehicle as the company continues to develop Starship for expeditions in the years ahead to the moon and Mars. SpaceX, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, is also eyeing a few key objectives to prepare Starship for more frequent flights after receiving key regulatory approval to significantly ramp up testing. Additionally, Starship is intended to once again attempt to deploy Starlink satellite simulators – an objective it has been unable so far to pull off. "Developmental testing by definition is unpredictable," SpaceX said on its website. "But by putting hardware in a flight environment as frequently as possible, we're able to quickly learn and execute design changes as we seek to bring Starship online as a fully and rapidly reusable vehicle." Here's everything to know about Starship, and what SpaceX is planning for the vehicle's next flight test. SpaceX has announced that it is targeting Tuesday, May 27, for Starship's ninth flight test. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET) from SpaceX's Starbase, the company's headquarters in Boca Chica about 23 miles from Brownsville near the U.S.-Mexico border. Where to watch Starship launch: This site in Texas offers a view of SpaceX launch pad SpaceX intends to reuse for the first time a Super Heavy booster rocket that has launched before. The booster, which was used in Starship's seventh flight test in January, features some new components, including a replaced heat shield. But most of the booster's hardware will be reused, or what SpaceX refers to as "flight-proven" – including 29 of its 33 Raptor engines. SpaceX is hoping the data it gathers from reusing a booster will help the company progress toward faster turnaround times between Starship launches. The objective comes as the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, gave SpaceX the greenlight earlier in May to conduct 25 Starship launches per year. Ultimately, SpaceX intends for future generations of the rocket to be capable of multiple liftoffs per day. In October 2024, SpaceX first pulled off a daring maneuver that has become a defining feature of its Starship flight tests: returning its super heavy booster to the launch pad. The feat, which involves catching the booster with giant mechanical arms known as chopsticks affixed to the launch tower, is one SpaceX has pulled off three times overall, including during the most two recent tests in 2025. But this time, retrieving the booster at the launch pad is not among SpaceX's objectives. Because Super Heavy is attempting "several flight experiments" that will provide data for future launches, SpaceX is opting to instead land the booster in the Gulf of Mexico, which the U.S. government has renamed the Gulf of America. That includes intentionally disabling one of the three center Raptor engines to assess backup engines during a landing. "To maximize the safety of launch infrastructure at Starbase, the Super Heavy booster will attempt these experiments while on a trajectory to an offshore landing point," SpaceX said. SpaceX will take a third shot at a Starlink payload deployment test – a key capability for the vehicle in the future that was called off during both previous launches. The eight Starlink simulators, similar in size and weight to next-generation Starlink satellites, will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to burn up on reentry. Additionally, the company plans to once again reignite its Raptor engines in space to attempt an orbital burn – a crucial maneuver to one day bring a vehicle back to the ground. The upcoming launch will be Starship's first flight since two explosive mishaps earlier this year rained debris near near the Bahamas. SpaceX, which released its findings for what caused the most recent explosion in March, said "several hardware changes have been made to increase reliability." The Federal Aviation Administration, which issued a launch license to SpaceX after determining it had met regulatory requirements for another launch, also noted that it would expand the size of the hazard zones for Flight 9. Those zones are areas for aircraft to avoid during the flight test. SpaceX is developing Starship to be a fully reusable transportation system, meaning both the rocket and vehicle can return to the ground for additional missions. In the years ahead, Starship is intended to carry both cargo and humans to Earth's orbit and deeper into the cosmos. NASA's lunar exploration plans, which appear to be in jeopardy under President Donald Trump's proposed budget, call for Artemis III astronauts aboard the Orion capsule to board the Starship while in orbit for a ride to the moon's surface. But Musk is more preoccupied with Starship reaching Mars – potentially, he has claimed, by the end of 2026. Under his vision, human expeditions aboard the Starship could then follow in the years after the first uncrewed spacecraft reaches the Red Planet. Starship is regarded as the world's largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. At more than 400 total feet in height, Starship towers over SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world's most active – which stands at nearly 230 feet. The launch vehicle is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage spacecraft, or capsule or crew and cargo would ride. Super Heavy alone is powered by 33 of SpaceX's Raptor engines that give the initial burst of thrust at liftoff. The upper section, also called Starship or Ship for short, is the upper stage powered by six Raptor engines that will ultimately travel in orbit. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: What is planned for Starship launch? SpaceX won't attempt booster catch
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
As SpaceX prepares for 9th Starship launch, here's a recap of every previous flight
It could be a matter of days until SpaceX launches its gargantuan Starship spacecraft on its next flight test. The 400-foot launch system vehicle, composed of both a rocket and an upper portion for crew and cargo, is due in the years ahead to play a pivotal role in human spaceflight. For NASA, Starship is the vehicle the space agency selected to transport astronauts from the moon's orbit down to the lunar surface for its upcoming Artemis III mission. And for billionaire Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, Starship could one day fulfill his dream of making "life multiplanetary" by sending the first humans to Mars. But the vehicle, which has undergone more than two years of testing, has a long way to go in its development before its ready to venture deep into the cosmos. Across its first eight flight tests, which began in April 2023, Starship has yet to reach orbit – instead traveling at a lower-altitude on a suborbital trajectory. And the rocket's first two flight tests of 2025 have infamously been marred by unexpected explosions. Musk and his commercial spaceflight company no doubt hope to get things back on track with the upcoming Starship flight nine, which the Federal Aviation Administration has officially licensed for launch. SpaceX also recently received critical regulatory approval to increase the number of annual Starship launches to 25 from the company's Starbase in South Texas. Ahead of the next impending flight test, here's a recap of every one of Starship's first eight launches. SpaceX news: Why Starship exploded twice so far in 2025 In the most recent launch March 6, flight operators lost contact with the 165-foot upper portion of the vehicle, which exploded less than 10 minutes into the flight, creating debris visible from Florida to the Caribbean. The explosion occurred despite SpaceX assuring that what mission teams learned from the seventh flight prompted them to make several modifications to the vehicle. The company provided more information on the cause of the explosion hours after the flight on its website, saying that "an energetic event" in Starship's aft section led to the failure of several Raptor engines. As a result, the vehicle lost control and communications ceased with ground operators, SpaceX said. The company once again began working with the Federal Aviation Administration to perform a mishap investigation. "With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's flight will help us improve Starship's reliability," SpaceX said on its website. Despite the failure of the Starship vehicle, the spacecraft's 232-foot "Super Heavy" rocket booster managed to once again navigate back to the launch pad for the third time ever. The maneuver involves SpaceX catching the booster with giant mechanical arms known as chopsticks. Having the capability of catching the Starship booster is crucial for SpaceX, giving the company a completely reusable booster that is able to launch again. The first Starship demonstration of the year also ended in a fiery explosion after the Starship vehicle was lost during its suborbital flight. Mission controllers lost contact with the spacecraft within 8 1/2 minutes of its flight before determining that it was destroyed in what the company called a 'rapid unscheduled disassembly.' Video on social media showed the explosion and its aftermath as remains of the spacecraft were seen breaking up in what looked like a stunning meteor shower. SpaceX, which conducted an investigation with the FAA, determined that the mishap was due to a series of propellant leaks and fires in the aft section of the vehicle that caused 'all but one of Starship's engines to execute controlled shut down sequences." This led to the communication breakdown and the vehicle to trigger its own self destruction. On his social media site X, Musk made light of the fiery end. "Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" Musk posted, along with a user video of the Starship debris raining down near the Atlantic Ocean. He added in another post that "improved versions" of the spaceship and booster are "already waiting for launch." The launch did end with one major accomplishment – the second-ever successful return of the rocket booster to the launch pad. The final Starship flight test of 2024 took place in front of a newly-elected President Donald Trump. The Starship began its projected trajectory at 5 p.m. ET over the Gulf of Mexico, since renamed by the U.S. government as the Gulf of America, following a similar suborbital path as previous flights. The rocket booster splashed down off the coast of Texas seven minutes after launch. The Starship vehicle itself flew for more than an hour before splashing down at 6:05 p.m. ET in the Indian Ocean. As for the booster, SpaceX officials had hoped to replicate what they did for the first time in the previous test, steering it back autonomously to the landing pad before catching it with two giant mechanical arms. But during the flight, officials opted to skip the complex maneuver for safety reasons. In an update on its website, SpaceX attributed the decision to data from "automated health checks" of hardware on both the launch and catch tower. The company also reignited its Raptor engines in space to attempt an orbital burn – a crucial maneuver to one day bring a vehicle back to the ground. The launch also included plans to fly the ship at a "higher angle of attack" to test what it can handle on future landings. For its fifth test flight, the empty Starship blasted off from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border. As in previous tests, the vehicle flew on a trajectory over the Gulf. In a first, the first-stage Super Heavy booster flew back to the launch pad. SpaceX had built a launch tower with massive mechanized metal arms, nicknamed "chopsticks," that then managed to catch the descending booster in a daring maneuver. Prior to the booster dropping and landing, it had pushed the Starship upward into the atmosphere, sending it soaring more than 130 miles high. An hour after liftoff, Starship made a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean. Ahead of the demo, SpaceX engineers reworked the rocket's heat shield, replacing the entire thermal protection system with newer tiles and a backup ablative layer. The craft experienced a successful separation from the booster, which saw 32 of 33 engines igniting properly during launch, about seven minutes into the flight. The booster successfully came back down to Earth and splashed down in the Gulf as planned and all six of Starship's engines powered it into successful orbital insertion. Heat shields protecting the outside of the craft took a beating, with at least one throwing debris into one of the live-streaming external cameras, but it managed to make a successful re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Roughly one hour and six minutes into the flight, Starship completed its first-ever landing burn and splashed down into the Indian Ocean to raucous applause. In the third test, the Starship succeeded in separating from the booster and proceeding to orbit within minutes of launching, where it conducted a series of in-flight tests while coasting through space. Video of its flight beamed back to Earth using SpaceX's Starlink Satellite network was able to capture the beginning of the spacecraft's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. However, the signal was lost about an hour into the mission before SpaceX concluded that the craft likely broke apart. Despite Starship's failure to make its planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean, SpaceX said the rocket still achieved several key milestones, including the successful firing of its 33 Raptor engines in the booster and the opening of a payload door. During the second launch test of the Starship, the rocket survived for longer and achieved some milestones, but it still eventually exploded. The booster was able to successfully separate from the rocket, which reached space before the ground crew lost communication with it after nine minutes. Three minutes later, SpaceX lost both the booster and the spacecraft in two explosions. Rather than seeing it as a setback, SpaceX expressed optimism about the stage separation while saying the rest would just be valuable data to help them remedy whatever went wrong. The Starship got off to a rough start when it exploded just four minutes into its inaugural test flight. The craft was able to launch at SpaceX's private Starbase site in Texas, but telemetry data revealed that several of the spacecraft's engines had failed, triggering the explosion before the booster and spacecraft could even separate. SpaceX later confirmed the rocket's flight termination system was activated to destroy the tumbling vehicle before it met its fiery end. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: SpaceX readies for Starship flight 9. What happened on previous tests?
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 teams who were absolutely screwed by the NFL schedule, and 3 who weren't
A huge part of a team's success during the NFL regular season is how their schedule lined up. It's not fair, but it is what it is. We've seen some of the best teams in the league get screwed over by their schedule and limp into the playoffs, while others have gotten the perfect bye week and found a way into a Wild Card spot when they really didn't have the talent to justify it. With NFL schedules just having been released there are three very obvious teams who were totally screwed over this year — and a handful of ones that lucked out with how their schedule broke. Advertisement SCREWED: New York Giants The Giants are really trying to get 2025 off on the right foot and the NFL schedule makers gave them absolutely no favors. The first six weeks to the season are more brutal than anyone else in the league, and it's bad enough that the schedule could legitimately sink the Giants' season before it ever begins. Week 1: Commanders Week 2: Cowboys Week 3: Chiefs Week 4: Chargers Week 5: Saints Week 6: Eagles The only obvious winnable game of the lot is against New Orleans. Dallas is a push, but possible. There is a very real chance that New York could be 1-5 by the end of Week 6 and it might be enough to see heads roll. NOT SCREWED: Minnesota Vikings I know it's tempting to look at those back-to-back games in Ireland and London and think that's a terrible thing, but honestly this schedule is FANTASTIC for the Vikings. The team gets a beneficial bye week in Week 6 after the travel, and while that might be a touch early — it's important to remember that those two games in Europe are both defacto away games. Advertisement That means the Vikings only really have seven away games this season, and their out-of-division away games are against the Chargers, Seahawks, Cowboys and Giants. It could be infinitely worse and gives Minnesota pretty soft lineup this year when it comes to being comfortable. SCREWED: Detroit Lions Sorry, but forcing a team to play on both Thanksgiving AND Christmas Day is just cruel. The Lions are also being subjected to back-to-back games on Thursday Night Football in Weeks 13 and 14. There's just no flow to this schedule that has Detroit jumping back-and-forth between home and away games, playing a bizarre schedule, and on holidays too. Heavy wears the crown, and the NFL is really making the Lions feel it. Advertisement NOT SCREWED: Philadelphia Eagles Not really sure how the Super Bowl champs pulled this one off. Philadelphia is one of the few teams not to have multiple divisional games to kick off the season. They face Dallas in the season opener, then don't need to worry about the NFC East until Week 6 against the Giants. This will allow the Eagles to get into the groove of the season without too much to worry about when it comes to shock games. Outside of that Philadelphia doesn't need to worry about a ton of long travel, they get their toughest opponents at home, and seem set up perfectly to be able to make another playoff run. SCREWED: Kansas City Chiefs Advertisement I hate this schedule for the Chiefs. It's another case of a good team being given a rough run, but their leadup to the bye week in 2025 is just brutal. KC gets a favorable Week 10 bye, but these are the teams they have to face to get to the rest week. Eagles Ravens Lions Commanders Bills That is a brutal slate close together to open the season. Factor in that the Chiefs have to open the season in Brazil in a divisional game, then also play on Christmas Day and it's just a rough slate to deal with.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Shayne O'Cass's race-by-race tips, analysis for Hawkesbury on Saturday
Form expert Shayne O'Cass analyses Saturday's 10-race card at Hawkesbury, presenting his race-by-race tips and analysis. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! â– â– â– â– â– HERB (12) is a grandson of Snitzel with broodmare sires like Courtza's son O'Reilly, Noble Bijou, Mellay, etc, which probably accounts for his superb and very compelling numbers on Heavy tracks. Rest assured Jason Collett will get the timing just right on this backmarker so long as the track is fair. MISS HADES (5) was a real eye-catcher first-up in the Candlewick midweeker. Has Midway form, likes the trip, and goes well second-up. PIRAEUS (8) is costly but always a chance in these Midways. Bet: HERB to win â– â– â– â– â– FEIMAZUO (9) has raced 13 times for two wins, five seconds and two thirds. Some of those placings were by narrow margins and more than some were the result of bad luck. Here is the most crucial bit; Clayton Gallagher has ridden her twice and won both times. STRAIGHT FIRE (8) is by Vancouver out of a More Than Ready mare out of a Zabeel mare. No wonder she is one for one on Heavy. Matthew Dunn is one or two off winning his 40th Highway. MOSCOW CIRCUS (3) profiles a fair bit like a fair few of his previous winners. â– â– â– â– â– DAMIEN (2) was $2.15 into $1.55 first-up at Newcastle and won accordingly. To win like that must have done his confidence and racecraft the world of good. This is much harder but he is a well-bred colt with plenty of upside (and a pedigree made to swim). AERODROME (1) was a narrow winner on debut but just so impressive. P.S. How good is Ole Kirk going? HEREWARD (4) is one those typical David Payne '3YO prospects' for next season but was forward enough to win a trial at Rosehill. Bet: DAMIEN to win â– â– â– â– â– IRON MAN (3) has finished on the podium 13 times in 19 starts; granted only three are wins but all of them were on rain affected tracks. One of them was on Heavy 8 at Kembla the day he won by three lengths. When it is all said and done, one word comes to mind and that is 'reliable'. Warwick Farm resident WORLD ALLIANCE (4) was bred nearby at Hobartville Stud, he's got a good 'local's' record at the track and has won on Heavy. Loved the EPIC PROPORTIONS (8) trials. Bet: IRON MAN to win, quinella 3, 4 â– â– â– â– â– QUANTUM CAT (4) won three times in England (from her first and only five starts there) and has never seen a Heavy track before Saturday. That's a bit of a worry but she is a Sadler's Well's descendant and has placed three times in five runs on Soft so gets a very cautious tick. Good news is that she has won second-up and was more than passable first-up. PHILLIPSBURG (3) is on a hat-trick here. Tough and genuine, he has a lot of weight this time but he's going so well, in fact, too well to overlook. Bet: QUANTUM CAT each-way â– â– â– â– â– There might not be a horse better bred for Heavy tracks racing on the weekend than SNITZANOVA (2) who is by Snitzel out of a Galileo mare. That means she is bred on a 3x3 cross of Snippets and Sadler's Wells. It stands to reason then why she won her only Heavy track run and that was the Sandown Guineas straight after the Spring Stakes win. MODELLA (14) is going to fly at them late here. I just hope the track plays fair. CANDLEWICK (13) is a quality filly. Is barrier 3 good or bad on the day? Bet: SNITZANOVA to win â– â– â– â– â– CITY OF LIGHTS (12) is a half-sister to Winx who you may recall was four from four on Heavy tracks for two reasons: One, she was a Champion and two, was the presence of Al Akbar (by Success Express) as the sire of her dam, Vegas Showgirl. That's a good omen for City Of Lights on a Heavy track here. Heavy 10 Golden Slipper winner Sebring is represented by TASHI (10) here. She's a spirited little mare who runs the same honest race no matter the venue or the level of competition. Bet: CITY OF LIGHTS each-way, box trifecta 2, 6, 10, 12 â– â– â– â– â– Provided the track is fair, the rain has come at the perfect time for FLOATING (11), a true example of the 'greys in the wet' theory. He's won seven races from 33 starts, three from 10 at this trip, four from 11 on Soft while his record on Heavy is one win, two seconds and one third from five goes. He ran a lot better than a 10th of 14 reads first-up. PUNCH LANE (5) is backing up for the third Saturday in-a-row but why not, the way he won last week and the fact he is a big time muddie. Bet: FLOATING each-way, Daily Double 1st Leg 11, 2nd Leg 2 â– â– â– â– â– ASTERO (7) has won eight races which is no small feat in the Benchmark era. The Matthew Smith-trained son of Zoustar has raced here twice for a win and second The win was on a Heavy 8; the second was on a Heavy 9 behind Norwegian Bliss. His old form includes a second to Big Dance winner Rustic Steel in the Newcastle Provincial Championships Heat. Goes well fresh, trials are very good and Jason Collett is the perfect fit for him. Stacks of other chances; IN FLIGHT (12) for one. â– â– â– â– â– I may be certifiably insane to tip ROSE BLOOM (2) again. Personally, I prefer 'loyal' myself but for those of us who went down with the ship last start, I can see why you'd be giving her a wide berth. I just see the gear changes as a potential plus and more to the point, she likes it soft underfoot which is a guarantee here. I'm sticking and so is Tyler Schiller. She is $81/$20 so worth a flutter. :
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tributes paid to mountain rescue 'legend' David Whalley
Tributes have been paid to a mountain search and rescue veteran who was one of the first on scene at the Lockerbie disaster. David "Heavy" Whalley, who has died aged 72, served with the RAF Mountain Rescue Service for almost 40 years. During his career he attended more than 1,000 mountain incidents, dozens of air accidents and helped save hundreds of lives. Scottish Mountain Rescue described Whalley as a "true legend" and broadcaster Cameron McNeish said he made time for everyone. Last year Whalley, of Burghead in Moray, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that he had been diagnosed with stage four liver disease. Mountain rescue veteran on 'last fight' after terminal diagnosis Lockerbie bombing: The ultimate detective story? Scottish Mountain Rescue (SMR) said it was "deeply saddened" by the news of his death. It added: "Heavy dedicated his life to helping others in the mountains, giving countless years of service with unwavering commitment, skill, and compassion. "He was a leader, a mentor, and a friend to so many in the mountain rescue community and beyond. "His knowledge, experience, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who worked alongside him." SMR said his legacy would live on through every team member he guided, every life he touched and "every summit where his spirit roams free". McNeish said his friend's death still came as a shock even though he had been ill. The writer added: "Heavy was probably the most-liked and popular person I have ever met, a man with time for everyone and a man with a heart of gold." Last year Whalley said he had "always been a fighter" and would battle until the end. He was affectionately known as by his nickname, "Heavy", which was given to him when he joined the RAF as a 5ft 4in recruit weighing just seven stone. Whalley worked as a team leader for both the RAF Leuchars and RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue teams. He was also deputy leader at RAF Valley in North Wales and president of the Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland (SARDA). Whalley attended more than 70 aircraft crashes and was senior team leader of the rescue effort at the scene of the Lockerbie disaster. Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down on 21 December 1988, killing its 259 passengers and crew and another 11 residents in the Scottish town. Reflecting last year on the UK's worst terror attack, Whalley said: "The place was like hell. "It was terrible, and it was so dangerous, and there were fatalities everywhere." "And I don't think people can ever imagine what that was like." He said the police force and the fire brigade were overwhelmed and admitted it took its toll on his mental health. Whalley recalled: "I was just working non-stop for about a week, no sleep, nothing. "One day afterwards I tried to get up and I was frozen, I could not move. "I had about three or four weeks in bed." He said after the trauma of the disaster he fought hard for the military to offer help to rescuers who may have suffered from post-traumatic disease, which is a legacy he was proud of. Whalley was also involved in the search for survivors of the RAF Chinook crash on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994. He said he remembered vividly the scene as the helicopter crew landed on the fog and smoke shrouded peninsula and added: "I've never been so scared." All four crew and 25 passengers, among them almost all of the UK's senior Northern Ireland intelligence experts, died when their helicopter crashed on its journey from near Belfast to Inverness. As he came to terms with his mortality last year, Whalley told the BBC the hardest thing would be leaving behind the people he cherished and who had cared for him over the last few years. He said: "My two beautiful granddaughters, stepdaughters and friend Kalie, and all these people who've been so good to me. "That's hard, but it's going to happen, and that's life."
