While DOGE dismay has hammered Tesla stock, SpaceX is still flying high with investors as the world’s most valuable private company. But economic realities and the physical limits of beaming internet connectivity from space could puncture the good vibes.
The two astronauts have been on at the International Space Station since last June after the ship they arrived in experienced helium leaks and thruster issues, requiring a new ship for the ride back to Earth.
SpaceX successfully caught the Super Heavy Booster, but then lost communication with the ship.
The Starship rocket will be launched for a sixth time Tuesday and its booster will attempt to re-land on its launch tower near Brownsville, Texas.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell echoed CEO Elon Musk’s past criticisms of government regulation, calling for faster launch approvals as the company ramps up test flights for its Starship rocket.
The ship will return with its crew and the two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station early next year.
The mission is the furthest crewed space mission since NASA’s Apollo moon missions.
Two astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station for two months longer than planned won’t return home until at least February.
Payment company Shift4’s founder and billionaire Jared Isaacman is headed off on the Polaris Dawn mission, which is scheduled to take place from August 26. And, he’ll be one of the first private citizen’s to take a walk in outer space.
The South Australian government’s ‘Kanyini’ satellite is now in orbit, having launched on a SpaceX mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.