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Time Magazine
3 hours ago
- Business
- Time Magazine
What the Trump-Musk Feud Means for SpaceX and NASA
What happens in Washington decidedly does not stay in Washington, with practically every action taken by the richest and most powerful country in the world having a near-immediate global reaction—on tariffs, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, global health, and more. Sometimes those reactions aren't even confined to the planet—as the recent social-media smackdown between President Donald Trump and former adviser Elon Musk illustrated. On June 5, as the feud between the two erstwhile besties escalated, Trump posted on his Truth Social Platform, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' Just over 90 minutes later, in a post on X, Musk clapped back: 'In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.' Not long after that post went wide, Musk quietly deleted it. Later that evening, an X user posted to Trump and Musk, 'This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days.' Minutes later, Musk responded, 'Good advice. OK, we won't decommission Dragon.' That defused the immediate emergency, but the threat and counterthreat raised questions about just how dependent America's space efforts are on the whims of two sometimes mercurial billionaires. Could a mere word from Musk ground the nation? Could a stroke of a Trump Sharpie similarly hobble SpaceX? The short answer in both cases is maybe, but not likely. There's no overstating just how central SpaceX has become in the space sector in the 23 years since it was founded as the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. Since the inaugural flight of the company's Falcon 9 in 2010, the rocket has become the world's workhorse vehicle for rides to orbit, with 485 completed missions, including 440 acrobatic landings of its reusable first stage. The rocket and its Dragon spacecraft provide regular service to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying crews up and down, and ferrying cargo and supplies aboard uncrewed Dragons. In 2024, the company's larger Falcon Heavy launched NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft to Jupiter's moon Europa. It is set to launch the ambitious Nancy Grace Roman Telescope in May 2027. The working relationship between SpaceX and the government is by no means limited to NASA. In April, as Ars Technica reports, the U.S. Space Force awarded the company a $5.9 billion contract, making SpaceX the leading provider of launch services for Pentagon satellites. The military is also a major customer of SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation, with 50 military commands now using the orbiting Internet service, according to Defense News. 'We have $22 billion in government contracts,' said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and COO, in a live streamed public panel last year. 'We earned that. We bid it, we were the lowest price, best bidder, we won and we execute.' If anything, the company is going to have the opportunity to execute still more, reinforcing the ties between SpaceX and the government. In 2021, NASA selected SpaceX's still-in-development Starship rocket to serve as the lander that is planned to carry American astronauts down from lunar orbit to the surface of the moon sometime before the end of the decade. In 2024, the space agency tapped SpaceX to build the vehicle that will nudge the ISS out of orbit when the program ends in 2030. And in May, Trump's so-called skinny budget called for NASA to cancel its over-budget and behind-schedule Space Launch System, the 21st century answer to the 1960s' Saturn V moon rocket, leaving Starship as the likeliest successor. Meantime, while Boeing's Starliner spacecraft was supposed to be joining Dragon in providing rides to the ISS—taking a share of the launch business revenue from SpaceX—Starliner famously failed in its inaugural flight last year. This left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded aboard the station for 8 months, on a mission that was supposed to last merely eight days. Similarly, Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Musk's fellow mega-billionaire Jeff Bezos, was expected to provide some launch-service competition for SpaceX, but the company has managed just one, only partially successful orbital launch of its New Glenn rocket, in January 2025, and has limited most of its activity to flying popgun suborbital missions for wealthy space tourists. 'It's not a planned monopoly,' said Shotwell in the live stream. 'If our competitors could get it together…' All of this leaves SpaceX and the government mutually interdependent, with Washington counting on the company to provide services no one else currently can, and the company happy for the paying work. That's not to say neither one could foul the joint nest. Trump's nomination of private astronaut and Musk friend Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator was widely seen as a sign of Musk's influence on the president—and Trump's decision on May 31 to pull the nomination was similarly seen as the first sign of the rift between Musk and Trump. But the president has made no other moves against Musk-world, and Musk's decision to delete his provocative post on X may have cooled tempers on both sides. SpaceX investors and other customers may serve as a brake on Musk's worst tendencies, and lawmakers from space-heavy states including California, Texas, and Florida may similarly restrain Trump. None of this says that neither man is beyond acting against his own—and his government's or his company's—best interests. The scorpion in the venerable fable famously stung the frog that was its only ride across the river—explaining before they both sank and drowned that 'it's in my nature.' Trump's and Musk's natures have always been impulsive. The space and defense sectors can only hope the two men show some restraint now.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This California rocket launch may be visible in Arizona this weekend. Here's how to see it
Arizonans may again be treated to a special celestial sight this weekend as SpaceX plans to launch another rocket and deploy a batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 3, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows. Backup launch opportunities are possible for Sunday, May 4. Because of Arizona's proximity to the launch site, there's a good chance you can see the craft move across the sky. Here's everything Arizonans need to know about the upcoming SpaceX launch, including where the launches happen and how to watch it from home. A four-hour launch window for SpaceX to launch a new batch of Starlink satellites into orbit opens at 11:13 a.m. PT (2:13 p.m. ET) Saturday, May 3, according to The launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the satellites, will take place from Launch Complex 4E from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County in California. Following the delivery and deployment of the satellites, the Falcon 9 rocket's booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship, nicknamed "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. This allows for SpaceX personnel to recover the booster so it can be reused in future spaceflights. Meteor shower this week: Best time to see the Eta Aquariids 2025 in Arizona The launch in California will create a light display over many parts of Arizona, so you can actually see the spacecraft from the comfort of your own backyard. Just watch the sky around the launch time to see the event. SpaceX often provides livestreams of its launches on its website, along with updates on the social media site X. However, details for a webcast for the upcoming Starlink launch have not been announced as of Friday, May 2. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by multimillionaire Elon Musk. The company manufactures spacecraft and launches communication satellites to space intending to deliver broadband internet services. According to the SpaceX website, Falcon 9 is the first orbital-class reusable rocket. The two-stage rocket transports people and payloads — the portion of the spacecraft that produces mission data and then relays it back to Earth — into space and back. Falcon 9's reusability allows SpaceX to "refly the most expensive parts of the rocket." According to the website, this will allow space access to become more affordable. Starlink is a satellite constellation that uses a low Earth orbit to function. According to the SpaceX website, Starlink is the first and largest satellite constellation to travel in a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet across the globe. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that orbit the planet at about 341 miles. The low orbit nature of Starlink's satellites lowers latency and data time between user and the satellite, which improves the performance of high data rate activities like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Starlink also aims to eliminate cell service dead zones through its Direct to Cell program. Like a cell tower in space, Direct to Cell will allow access to texting, calling, and browsing in traditionally remote areas. Former Arizona Republic reporter Brenna Gauchat contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX rocket launch may be visible from Arizona. How to watch
Times of Oman
16-03-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
SpaceX launches 23 new starlink satellites into orbit
Washington: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) successfully launched 23 new Starlink satellites into space, including 13 equipped with direct-to-cell connectivity capabilities. The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, delivering the satellites into low Earth orbit. According to the company, this marks SpaceX's third launch within just 13 hours. To date in 2025, SpaceX has conducted 31 Falcon 9 missions, with about two-thirds dedicated to building the Starlink satellite network - the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. Of the approximately 8,100 Starlink spacecraft launched so far, 7,061 are currently operational, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Abbott announces Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant to SpaceX
Mar. 12—AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced that the fifth Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant of $17.3 million has been extended to Space Exploration Technologies Corporation ("SpaceX") for an expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop. This expansion is expected to create more than 400 jobs and more than $280 million in capital investment. "Texas connects the nation and the world with the most advanced technologies manufactured right here in our great state," said Governor Abbott. "I congratulate SpaceX on their more than $280 million investment in this Texas-sized expansion of their semiconductor R&D and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop, which will be the largest of its kind in North America. Working together with innovative industry leaders like SpaceX, Texas will continue to rank No. 1 for semiconductor research and high-tech manufacturing and secure critical domestic supply chains as we build a stronger, more prosperous Texas than ever before." Over the next three years, SpaceX's Bastrop facility will expand by one million square feet to produce Starlink kits and their component parts, including advanced packaged silicon products. Starlink satellites provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to more than five million people and businesses in over 120 countries and territories. The proposed project includes printed circuit boards (PCBs), a semiconductor failure analysis lab, and advanced packaging for panel level packaging (PLP). Once complete, the Bastrop facility will be the largest PCB and PLP facility in North America. "Incredible innovation and high-tech manufacturing is happening in Texas as a direct result of Governor Abbott's leadership and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund initiative," said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. "We love Texas. SpaceX is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into our Bastrop facility. This grant will help continue to expand Bastrop's manufacturing for Starlink to help connect even more people across the state and around the world with high-speed, low-latency internet." "We are incredibly fortunate to have a world-class facility like SpaceX in Bastrop County," said Senator Charles Schwertner. "From the cell phones in our pockets to strengthening our national defense, semiconductors power our everyday lives. This investment will bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to the area and serve as a catalyst for further economic growth. I look forward to SpaceX's continued technological advancements as they revolutionize the industry." "This investment is a game-changer for Bastrop and for Texas," said Representative Stan Gerdes. "SpaceX's expansion reinforces Texas as the nation's leader in high-tech manufacturing and semiconductor innovation. With hundreds of new jobs and a stronger domestic supply chain, this project is a huge win for our economy, our workforce, and our future." View more information about SpaceX. Governor Abbott signed into law the Texas CHIPS Act in 2023 to establish the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, a performance-based incentive program to encourage the continued leadership of Texas in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing, as well as the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium. These programs, administered by the Texas CHIPS Office, a newly formed division within the Governor's Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office, are designed to leverage Texas' investments in the semiconductor industry, encourage semiconductor-related companies to expand in the state, further develop the expertise and capacity of Texas institutions of higher education, and maintain the state's position as the nation's leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launch lights up Arizona skies. Here's how you can see the next launch
Arizonans were treated to a special show on Monday night as a SpaceX launch in California lit up the sky over metro Phoenix. Elon Musk's company SpaceX launched the rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, the company posted on its website. This is not the first time one of the company's launches have been visible in Arizona. In the past, the launches from Vandenburg Air Force Base have caught residents' attention and caused an uproar on social media. Here's what to know about the SpaceX launch, including its connection to Starlink and when the next launch will be. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, more widely known as SpaceX, is an astronautics company owned and co-founded by multimillionaire Elon Musk. The company manufactures spacecraft and launches communication satellites to space intending to deliver broadband internet services. More: Biggest astronomical events 2025: Everything you can see in Arizona According to the SpaceX website, Falcon 9 is the first orbital-class reusable rocket. The two-stage rocket transports people and payloads — the portion of the spacecraft that produces mission data and then relays it back to Earth —into space and back. Falcon 9's reusability allows SpaceX to "refly the most expensive parts of the rocket". According to the website, this will allow space access to become more affordable. Starlink is a satellite constellation that uses a low Earth orbit to function. According to the SpaceX website, Starlink is the first and largest satellite constellation to travel in a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet across the globe. While most satellite internet services operate from single geostationary satellites orbiting Earth at about 22,236 miles, Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that orbit the planet at about 341 miles. The low orbit nature of Starlink's satellites lowers latency and data time between user and the satellite, which improves the performance of high data rate activities like streaming, online gaming and video calls. Starlink also aims to eliminate cell service dead zones through its Direct to Cell program. Like a cell tower in space, Direct to Cell will allow access to texting, calling, and browsing in traditionally remote areas. SpaceX does not have information about the next California launch listed on its website. However, a launch may happen at the end of February, depending on weather conditions, according to Space Flight Now, which keeps a log of planned space launches. More: When is the full moon in February 2025? How to see the Snow Moon in AZ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SpaceX launch visible in Arizona: How to see the next launch
