#starship construction site

[feodortum]

[odinsblog]

Everything about the Starship was the result of a series of decisions designed to make spaceflight cheaper. The methane fuel. The steel structure. The method of construction. Even the rocket’s enormous size. All of it was a gamble to create a system that is fully reusable, bringing the cost of getting to orbit down to a small fraction of what it is today and making space almost infinitely more accessible.

However, one decision in the process didn’t just result in the destruction of the rocket, it generated a cascade of failures, one that’s likely to set the program back by a least a year, erasing the chance of NASA’s scheduled return to the Moon in the process. That decision is 100% on Elon Musk.

HERE’S THE TL;DR VERSION

The no-clamps slow throttle-up meant Starship stayed on the pad for a long time, throwing up concrete, rock, and sand in all directions, damaging the pad, nearby facilities, and Starship itself.

By the time it left the pad, that debris had already destroyed three of Starship’s engines and likely damaged valves and systems that would lead to additional engine failures as well as an incorrect fuel mixture.

Starship was slow to reach every point in the flight plan, suggesting that other engines were not able to throttle up to compensate for the lost engines.

At what should have been stage separation, either software errors or more smashed hardware kept the main booster firing long after it should have shut down.

The result was an uncontrolled spin that required Starship to be destroyed.

WHY THIS IS 100% ELON MUSK’S FAULT

Starship is the work of hundreds of talented engineers and thousands of employees who put their best into making this thing go. The design is extremely daring, and something of a wonder. The engines are amazing, even if they have demonstrated that reliability is currently lacking. The whole system of construction promises to revolutionize the space industry.

But there are two parts that were left out of Starship that absolutely doomed this flight and the decision not to include them falls right with the guy at the end of the first row at “Star Command.”

Those parts were not parts for the rocket. They were parts for the launch pad.

For some reason, Musk became convinced early on that he did not want the launch tower to have:

A flame-diverter or flame trench to redirect the blast from the booster’s engines

A water deluge system to dump a massive amount of water around the launch tower during liftoff

The launch facilities at Kennedy have both of these. Even the launch pads used for the much smaller Falcon 9 have both a flame trench and a water deluge. They help to protect not just the launch pad, and the surrounding area, they also help to reduce the noise. Which sounds trivial, but that noise is energy. That’s what broke up the concrete under the Starship Stage Zero, not the fire. That’s what sent car-sized chunks flying in all directions.

A flame diverter and a water deluge would have greatly reduced, or even eliminated, the damage to the area around the pad. They would have prevented the blow back of debris that damaged Starship before it even left the ground. It might have headed off the whole cascade of events that resulted in that button being pressed 4 minutes into the flight.

We don’t have to guess about whose decision it was not to implement these systems, because Musk already said he decided to skip these systems over the recommendations of his engineers. Musk even had a preview of what was going to happen, as past test flights of the upper stage also resulted in significant spalling of concrete structures and damage to at least one of the ships. He just made them try different kinds of concrete.

The parts for a water deluge were actually on site, ready to install, but Musk decided to forego that installation—likely so he could enjoy the pun of launching his super-joint on 4/20. Which was something Musk had joked about doing months ago.

Hopefully he enjoyed the joke, because the EPA and FAA are going to be thinking long and hard before they authorize another flight from Boca Chica. All those engineers, and all those workers, and all their good work, is held hostage to Musk’s whims.

Also a victim of Musk’s decision to leave these vital pieces off the table? The Artemis Program at NASA. Musk has already been awarded the contract to create the first lunar lander for the new program, but that lander is absolutely dependent on Starship. It’s a sure bet that Musk won’t have his part of the program ready on schedule. It’s going to be some time before we even so another test flight.

In the meantime, SpaceX can repair the damage, build a flame diverter, install that deluge system, clean up the software, and ditch the whole “pitch over” means of stage separation for something simpler—like using the second stage engines to push the stages apart with an unignited shot of methane.

See you in 2024, Starship.

Maybe.

👉🏿 https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/22/2165317/-A-Starship-Post-mortem-Why-the-giant-rocket-failed-and-why-it-s-Elon-Musk-s-fault

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

STARSHIPS ARE MEANT TO FLY

SpaceX was founded in 2002 to expand access to outer space. Not just for government or traditional satellite operators, but for new participants around the globe. Today, we’re flying at an unprecedented pace as the world’s most active launch services provider. SpaceX is safely and reliably launching astronauts, satellites, and other payloads on missions benefiting life on Earth and preparing humanity for our ultimate goal: to explore other planets in our solar system and beyond.

Starship is paramount to making that sci-fi future, along with a growing number of U.S. national priorities, a reality. It is the largest and most powerful space transportation system ever developed, and its fully and rapidly reusable design will exponentially increase humanity’s ability to access and utilize outer space. Full reusability has been an elusive goal throughout the history of spaceflight, piling innumerable technical challenges on what is already the most difficult engineering pursuit in human existence. It is rocket science, on ludicrous mode.

Every flight of Starship has made tremendous progress and accomplished increasingly difficult test objectives, making the entire system more capable and more reliable. Our approach of putting flight hardware in the flight environment as often as possible maximizes the pace at which we can learn recursively and operationalize the system. This is the same approach that unlocked reuse on our Falcon fleet of rockets and made SpaceX the leading launch provider in the world today. 

To do this and do it rapidly enough to meet commitments to national priorities like NASA’s Artemis program, Starships need to fly. The more we fly safely, the faster we learn; the faster we learn, the sooner we realize full and rapid rocket reuse. Unfortunately, we continue to be stuck in a reality where it takes longer to do the government paperwork to license a rocket launch than it does to design and build the actual hardware. This should never happen and directly threatens America’s position as the leader in space. 

FLIGHT 5

The Starship and Super Heavy vehicles for Flight 5 have been ready to launch since the first week of August. The flight test will include our most ambitious objective yet: attempt to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it in mid-air.

This will be a singularly novel operation in the history of rocketry. SpaceX engineers have spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize our chances for success. Every test comes with risk, especially those seeking to do something for the first time. SpaceX goes to the maximum extent possible on every flight to ensure that while we are accepting risk to our own hardware, we accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring public safety.

It's understandable that such a unique operation would require additional time to analyze from a licensing perspective. Unfortunately, instead of focusing resources on critical safety analysis and collaborating on rational safeguards to protect both the public and the environment, the licensing process has been repeatedly derailed by issues ranging from the frivolous to the patently absurd. At times, these roadblocks have been driven by false and misleading reporting, built on bad-faith hysterics from online detractors or special interest groups who have presented poorly constructed science as fact.

We recently received a launch license date estimate of late November from the FAA, the government agency responsible for licensing Starship flight tests. This is a more than two-month delay to the previously communicated date of mid-September. This delay was not based on a new safety concern, but instead driven by superfluous environmental analysis. The four open environmental issues are illustrative of the difficulties launch companies face in the current regulatory environment for launch and reentry licensing.

STEEL AND WATER

Starship’s water-cooled steel flame deflector has been the target of false reporting, wrongly alleging that it pollutes the environment or has operated completely independent of regulation. This narrative omits fundamental facts that have either been ignored or intentionally misinterpreted.

At no time did SpaceX operate the deflector without a permit. SpaceX was operating in good faith under a Multi-Sector General Permit to cover deluge operations under the supervision of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). SpaceX worked closely with TCEQ to incorporate numerous mitigation measures prior to its use, including the installation of retention basins, construction of protective curbing, plugging of outfalls during operations, and use of only potable (drinking) water that does not come into contact with any industrial processes. A permit number was assigned and made active in July 2023. TCEQ officials were physically present at the first testing of the deluge system and given the opportunity to observe operations around launch.

The water-cooled steel flame deflector does not spray pollutants into the surrounding environment. Again, it uses literal drinking water. Outflow water has been sampled after every use of the system and consistently shows negligible traces of any contaminants, and specifically, that all levels have remained below standards for all state permits that would authorize discharge. TCEQ, the FAA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evaluated the use of the system prior to its initial use, and during tests and launch, and determined it would not cause environmental harm.

When the EPA issued its Administrative Order in March 2024, it was done before seeking a basic understanding of the facts of the water-cooled steel flame deflector’s operation or acknowledgement that we were operating under the Texas Multi-Sector General Permit. After meeting with the EPA—during which the EPA stated their intent was not to stop testing, preparation, or launch operations—it was decided that SpaceX should apply for an individual discharge permit. Despite our previous permitting, which was done in coordination with TCEQ, and our operation having little to nothing in common with industrial waste discharges covered by individual permits, we applied for an individual permit in July 2024.

The subsequent fines levied on SpaceX by TCEQ and the EPA are entirely tied to disagreements over paperwork. We chose to settle so that we can focus our energy on completing the missions and commitments that we have made to the U.S. government, commercial customers, and ourselves. Paying fines is extremely disappointing when we fundamentally disagree with the allegations, and we are supported by the fact that EPA has agreed that nothing about the operation of our flame deflector will need to change. Only the name of the permit has changed.

GOOD STEWARD

No launch site operates in a vacuum. As we have built up capacity to launch and developed new sites across the country, we have always been committed to public safety and mitigating impacts to the environment. At Starbase, we implement an extensive list of mitigations developed with federal and state agencies, many of which require year-round monitoring and frequent updates to regulators and consultation with independent biological experts. The list of measures we take just for operations in Texas is over two hundred items long, including constant monitoring and sampling of the short and long-term health of local flora and fauna. The narrative that we operate free of, or in defiance of, environmental regulation is demonstrably false.

Environmental regulations and mitigations serve a noble purpose, stemming from common-sense safeguards to enable progress while preventing undue impact to the environment. However, with the licensing process being drawn out for Flight 5, we find ourselves delayed for unreasonable and exasperating reasons.

On Starship’s fourth flight, the top of the Super Heavy booster, commonly known as the hot-stage, was jettisoned to splash down on its own in the Gulf of Mexico. The hot-stage plays an important part in protecting the booster during separation from Starship’s upper stage before detaching during the booster’s return flight. This operation was analyzed thoroughly ahead of Starship’s fourth flight, specifically focused on any potential impact to protected marine species. Given the distribution of marine animals in the specific landing area and comparatively small size of the hot-stage, the probability of a direct impact is essentially zero. This is something previously determined as standard practice by the FAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service for the launch industry at large, which disposes of rocket stages and other hardware in the ocean on every single launch, except of course, for our own Falcon rockets which land and are reused. The only proposed modification for Starship’s fifth flight is a marginal change in the splashdown location of the hot-stage which produces no increase in likelihood for impacting marine life. Despite this, the FAA leadership approved a 60-day consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Furthermore, the mechanics of these types of consultations outline that any new questions raised during that time can reset the 60-day counter, over and over again. This single issue, which was already exhaustively analyzed, could indefinitely delay launch without addressing any plausible impact to the environment.

Another unique aspect to Starship’s fifth flight and a future return and catch of the Super Heavy booster will be the audible sonic booms in the area around the return location. As we’ve previously noted, the general impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise. The FAA, in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, evaluated sonic booms from the landing of the Super Heavy and found no significant impacts to the environment. Although animals exposed to the sonic booms may be briefly startled, numerous prior studies have shown sonic booms of varying intensity have no detrimental effect on wildlife. Despite this documented evidence, the FAA leadership approved an additional 60-day consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife as a slightly larger area could experience a sonic boom.

Lastly, the area around Starbase is well known as being host to various protected birds. SpaceX already has extensive mitigations in place and has been conducting biological monitoring for birds near Starbase for nearly 10 years. The protocol for the monitoring was developed with U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, and is conducted by professional, qualified, independent biologists. To date, the monitoring has not shown any population-level impacts to monitored bird populations, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary that the authors themselves later amended. Even though Starship’s fifth flight will take place outside of nesting season, SpaceX is still implementing additional mitigations and monitoring to minimize impacts to wildlife, including infrared drone surveillance pre- and post-launch to track nesting presence. We are also working with USFWS experts to assess deploying special protection measures prior to launches during bird nesting season.

SpaceX is committed to minimizing impact and enhancing the surrounding environment where possible. One of our proudest partnerships in South Texas is with Sea Turtle Inc, a local nonprofit dedicated to sea turtle conservation. SpaceX assists with finding and transporting injured sea turtles to their facilities for treatment. SpaceX has also officially adopted Boca Chica Beach through the Texas General Lands Office Adopt a Beach Program, with the responsibility of picking up litter and promoting a litter-free environment. SpaceX sponsors and participates in quarterly beach cleanups as well as quarterly State Highway 4 cleanups. SpaceX has removed hundreds of pounds of trash from the beach and State Highway 4 over the last several years. SpaceX also fosters environmental education at the local level by hosting school tours as well as an Annual Environmental Education Day with Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Sea Turtle Inc. 

TO FLY

Despite a small, but vocal, minority of detractors trying to game the regulatory system to obstruct and delay the development of Starship, SpaceX remains committed to the mission at hand. Our thousands of employees work tirelessly because they believe that unlimited opportunities and tangible benefits for life on Earth are within reach if humanity can fundamentally advance its ability to access space. This is why we’re committed to continually pushing the boundaries of spaceflight, with a relentless focus on safety and reliability.

Because life will be multiplanetary, and will be made possible by the farsighted strides we take today.

[lizardsfromspace]

Though Section 31 is the most well-known secret organization within the Federation, there is another, with its roots in ancient Earth...

Item #: SCP-54973

Object Class: Euclid Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-54973 is currently contained within a museum ship at the Fleet Museum at █████ █████. The sensor and security logs of the Fleet Museum are scanned for signs of SCP-54973-1 every two nanoseconds by a discreet Foundation algorithm. Upon detection of a SCP-54973-1 instance, Foundation fightercraft are to be dispatched and intercept the object before it can advance to warp. Intercepted instances are to be destroyed or tractored to Foundation storage facility at the discretion of the administrator of Deep Space Site-15.

Visitors to the museum should be forbidden access to the ship's ninth deck, under a cover story of performing required renovations. Should anyone but approved researchers, ESCPH units, and D-series synths enter deck 9, they are to be detained and evaluated for memetic contamination before release. The starship's renown with the general public prevents fuller containment at this time.

Description: SCP-54973 is the primary shuttlebay of the decommissioned ████████-class starship USS ███████, NCC-█████. Anomalous properties were discovered upon the ship's return from a seven year journey in the [redacted], and the current procedures implemented.

At regular intervals, SCP-54973 produces shuttlecraft. The process by which new shuttlecraft are created is as of yet unknown, as SCP-54973 produces false records in all sensor and recording equipment placed within itself during a production event. Shuttlecraft are designated SCP-54973-1. Since the starship ███████'s return from the [redacted] and the departure of its crew, SCP-54973-1 instances have begun autonomously launching themselves into space by a unknown process and attempting a rapid acceleration to warp.

SCP-54973-1 instances resemble baseline Starfleet shuttlecraft externally, but their interiors have been made from a variety of non-standard substances, including wood, bio-neural gel, humanoid biological components, and [DATA EXPUNGED].

While in service in the [redacted], SCP-54973 exerted a strong memetic effect on its crew. Logs indicate frequent statements that ███████ had "a full complement of shuttles" no matter their losses (in reality, the starship's ordinary complement of shuttles was exhausted a little over a year into their mission). Crew additionally expressed no alarm at the anomalous nature of the shuttlecraft, or at the appearance of non-standard designs such as the "█████ █████", believing they had been constructed by the crew, despite the implausibility of constructing experimental shuttle designs with a paucity of resources.

Addendum 54973-A: On Stardate █████.█, a SCP-54973-1 instance was not intercepted in time and accelerated to Warp ██. Its current whereabouts are unknown. All ships and starbases within the territory of the Federation, Klingon Empire, Romulan Free State and other post-nova remnant governments, Nyberrite Alliance, Dominion, and I██████ Empire received a transmission in an artificial voice resembling that of ███████'s former Captain, ███████ ███████:

"I'm coming, babies. I'm coming, I'm almost back babies, I'm -"

Transmission intercepted by Foundation assets in each government before wider exposure. Meaning of transmission remains unknown.

In light of SCP-54973-1's warp ██ capabilities, upgrade to Keter suggested and approved.

[razieltwelve]

Devotion (Rebirth)

This is set in the Rebirth AU, which is the AU in which Taylor Hebert from Worm is reborn as Atalanta, Taren’s twin sister.

X     X     X

Atalanta - the woman who had once been Taylor Hebert - looked down at Beaky. The old crow had lived a long time, even for one of the birds that watched over Aquila. He was one of the few who could remember the days before Yeul had awakened her Semblance and become the first Grand Seeress in centuries.

When Aquila had been born, Beaky had been appointed the leader of the birds who watched over her. He had watched her grow from an infant into a toddler and then a little girl with the same Semblance as her mother. He had witnessed her become a teenager, a young woman, and eventually a mother.

Beaky had been with Aquila ever step of the way, and Atalanta knew that her wife could hardly remember a day without the crow either perched on her shoulder or on something close by. But not even curmudgeonly crows could live forever.

The last few years had been tough on Beaky. He was no longer the leader of the crows that watched over Aquila. He didn’t have the strength for it anymore. Instead, it was Aquila who watched over him. Aquila was well into her sixties now, and she’d even travelled to another world via starship. Beaky had been with her, and even if he could no longer protect her, it wouldn’t have been the same without him there.

Beaky had been able to see, with his own eyes, the planet that would play home to a new Grand Temple for the Seers, a place where the mists of time and space were thin enough that there was almost no limit to how far in space and time Aquila could see. He’d given the site of the new temple his grudging approval, but not before pointing out that it wouldn’t be right until they’d added trees descended from the colossal trees that surrounded the temple back on Remnant.

But today was the day. Aquila had seen it, and Beaky seemed to know it too.

Which was why he’d asked Atalanta to do something for him.

He’d protected Aquila until he no longer had the strength, but even then he’d stayed by her side. He didn’t want to leave her, not yet, and Atalanta could help him stay, at least, in some small way.

Atalanta’s Semblance could take anything that wasn’t alive and combine it with other things to create a construct that embodied the properties of those things. Beaky wanted her to use her Semblance on his body when he passed, to create a construct that could continue to serve, protect, and watch over Aquila.

Atalanta waited patiently as Aquila and Beaky said their goodbyes. The two of them had already spoken, their enmity more like fond dislike these days, but Beaky wanted Aquila to be the last person he saw before he closed his eyes.

When Aquila was certain he had passed, she stepped away.

It was time.

X     X     X

Historical Note:

The constructs of Atalanta Yun-Farron were notorious for their power and flexibility. It was often said that she had one for every occasion, and the sheer number of constructs that were reported over the years suggests there was certainly some truth to that claim.

Perhaps the most infamous of those constructs is the immense crow called Beaky. Beaky was able to vary his size from the size of a normal crow to larger than a Nevermore. Although the exact collection of objects used to create him are known only to Atalanta’s descendants, many believe that the core of the construct was the body of the original Beaky, a crow faithful to Aquila, along with an assortment of exotic materials gifted by Atalanta’s siblings and cousins.

Following Atalanta’s passing, most of her constructs went with her. However, a select few were ‘bonded’ to particular places or people. Beaky remained, and he has watched over and protected every Grand Seer or Grand Seeress to succeed Aquila.

[scifigeneration]

Artemis: why it may be the last mission for Nasa astronauts

by Martin Rees, Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge

Neil Armstrong took his historic “one small step” on the Moon in 1969. And just three years later, the last Apollo astronauts left our celestial neighbour. Since then, hundreds of astronauts have been launched into space but mainly to the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. None has, in fact, ventured more than a few hundred kilometres from Earth.

The US-led Artemis programme, however, aims to return humans to the Moon this decade – with Artemis 1 on its way back to Earth as part of its first test flight, going around the Moon.

The most relevant differences between the Apollo era and the mid-2020s are an amazing improvement in computer power and robotics. Moreover, superpower rivalry can no longer justify massive expenditure, as in the Cold War competition with the Soviet Union. In our recent book “The End of Astronauts”, Donald Goldsmith and I argue that these changes weaken the case for the project.

The Artemis mission is using Nasa’s brand new Space Launch System, which is the most powerful rocket ever – similar in design to the Saturn V rockets that sent a dozen Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Like its predecessors, the Artemis booster combines liquid hydrogen and oxygen to create enormous lifting power before falling into the ocean, never to be used again. Each launch therefore carries an estimated cost of between $2 billion (£1.7 billion) and $4 billion.

This is unlike its SpaceX competitor “Starship”, which enables the company to recover and the reuse the first stage.

The benefits of robotics

Advances in robotic exploration are exemplified by the suite of rovers on Mars, where Perseverance, Nasa’s latest prospector, can drive itself through rocky terrain with only limited guidance from Earth. Improvements in sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) will further enable the robots themselves to identify particularly interesting sites, from which to gather samples for return to Earth.

Within the next one or two decades, robotic exploration of the Martian surface could be almost entirely autonomous, with human presence offering little advantage. Similarly, engineering projects – such as astronomers’ dream of constructing a large radio telescope on the far side of the Moon, which is free of interference from Earth – no longer require human intervention. Such projects can be entirely constructed by robots.

Instead of astronauts, who need a well equipped place to live if they’re required for construction purposes, robots can remain permanently at their work site. Likewise, if mining of lunar soil or asteroids for rare materials became economically viable, this also could be done more cheaply and safely with robots.

Robots could also explore Jupiter, Saturn and their fascinatingly diverse moons with little additional expense, since journeys of several years present little more challenge to a robot than the six-month voyage to Mars. Some of these moons could in fact harbour life in their sub-surface oceans.

Even if we could send humans there, it might be a bad idea as they could contaminate these worlds with microbes form Earth.

Managing risks

The Apollo astronauts were heroes. They accepted high risks and pushed technology to the limit. In comparison, short trips to the Moon in the 2020s, despite the $90-billion cost of the Artemis programme, will seem almost routine.

Something more ambitious, such as a Mars landing, will be required to elicit Apollo-scale public enthusiasm. But such a mission, including provisions and the rocketry for a return trip, could well cost Nasa a trillion dollars – questionable spending when we’re dealing with a climate crisis and poverty on Earth. The steep price tag is a result of a “safety culture” developed by Nasa in recent years in response to public attitudes.

This reflects the trauma and consequent programme delays that followed the Space Shuttle disasters in 1986 and 2003, each of which killed the seven civilians on board. That said, the shuttle, which had 135 launches altogether, achieved a failure rate below two percent. It would be unrealistic to expect a rate as low as this for the failure of a return trip to Mars – the mission would after all last two whole years.

Astronauts simply also need far more “maintenance” than robots – their journeys and surface operations require air, water, food, living space and protection against harmful radiation, especially from solar storms.

Already substantial for a trip to the Moon, the cost differences between human and robotic journeys would grow much larger for any long-term stay. A voyage to Mars, hundreds of times further than the Moon, would not only expose astronauts to far greater risks, but also make emergency support far less feasible. Even astronaut enthusiasts accept that almost two decades may elapse before the first crewed trip to Mars.

There will certainly be thrill-seekers and adventurers who would willingly accept far higher risks – some have even signed up for a proposed one-way trip in the past.

This signals a key difference between the Apollo era and today: the emergence of a strong, private space-technology sector, which now embraces human spaceflight. Private-sector companies are now competitive with Nasa, so high-risk, cut-price trips to Mars, bankrolled by billionaires and private sponsors, cold be crewed by willing volunteers. Ultimately, the public could cheer these brave adventurers without paying for them.

Given that human spaceflight beyond low orbit is highly likely to entirely transfer to privately-funded missions prepared to accept high risks, it is questionable whether Nasa’s multi-billion-dollar Artemis project is a good way to spend the government’s money. Artemis is ultimately more likely to be a swansong than the launch of a new Apollo era.

[ironwitchpainter]

Steampunk Summoning the Serial: Installment 4

Meanwhile, in the moonlit yard of the starship construction site, Rachel and Elara stand hand in hand, their fingers entwined like the very threads of fate they are destined to manipulate. The ship has grown since their last visit, its hull a gleaming testament to their tireless efforts. Rachel's belly is now swollen with the cosmic child, a beacon of hope and power that seems to resonate with the very metal of the ship.

The duo's bond has only grown stronger as the child within Rachel has grown, their shared destiny an unspoken promise that unites them. The whispers of the In-Betweens are ever present, guiding their every move as they work tirelessly to bring their vision to life. The air is thick with the scent of burnt metal and the sweet aroma of success, each spark that flies from the welding torch a reminder of the fiery passion that fuels their endeavor.

Rachel and Elara, their hands joined in a silent pact of unity, watch over the bustling construction site from the quiet sanctuary of the yard. The ship, a gleaming beacon of steampunk innovation, looms large, reflecting the amber light of the whiskey-infused teapot in the windows of its cockpit. Anon's eyes, now a permanent emblem of their cosmic communion, flicker with the warmth of the fireplace in Castellanos' lair as they sip the amber liquid, feeling the gentle embrace of the whiskey's warmth spread through their veins.

The doctor's mentorship has been invaluable, allowing Anon to harness the power of the In-Betweens in a way that was once unthinkable. Each glowing ember in their gaze is a testament to the countless hours they've spent together, honing their skills, understanding the intricacies of the cosmic dance.

"Your journey, my friends," Castellanos says, raising his teacup in a toast, "will be fraught with challenges that may shake the very foundations of what you hold dear. But fear not, for within each of you lies the strength of a thousand suns." His eyes, swirling with the mysteries of the cosmos, bore into Anon's soul, a silent promise of support and guidance in the trials to come.

He takes a sip of his tea, the whiskey a warm embrace against the cold of the night. "The stars are not merely points of light to be chased. They are the whispers of a story, a saga that you are about to write. Your destinies are as intertwined as the very fabric of the universe itself, and together, you shall weave a tale that will be remembered for eons to come."

Archibald, his own transformation subtle yet profound, nods solemnly, his gaze lingering on the starlit tome that had brought him here. "We stand on the precipice of something grand," he murmurs, his voice filled with a reverence that could stir the very stars. "A destiny that calls us forth, a promise that beckons us to the stars."

He pauses, his eyes drifting to the ring Rachel had given him, a symbol of the union between them. "But with great power comes great responsibility," he adds, echoing Castellanos' earlier words. "We must be ever vigilant, ever mindful of the path we tread."

Once, Anon had presented Rachel with a gleaming ring from the carnival, a token of love and commitment that transcended the confines of traditional marriage. The exchange had been a declaration of a new kind of bond, one that celebrated the boundless possibilities of love and friendship. Now, as Rachel's hand rests gently on her swollen belly, the ring is a constant reminder of the promise they made to each other.

But the story didn't end there. As the whispers of the In-Betweens grew louder and their destinies entwined further, the circle of unity expanded. Matching rings now adorn the fingers of Rachel, Anon, Archibald, and Elara, a quartet bound by fate and choice. These rings, crafted from a metal that gleams with the light of a thousand stars, serve as a silent testament to their pact, a physical manifestation of the cosmic bond that links them together.

Rachel and Elara, standing in the moonlit glow of the half-finished starship, are a picture of unity and love. Their union, forged in the fires of destiny and the cold embrace of the cosmos, transcends the traditional confines of marriage. They are bound not by the laws of man but by the very fabric of the universe itself.

The ring on Rachel's finger, a twin to the one Anon had placed there, glitters with an otherworldly light, a symbol of their unshakeable bond. The whispers of the In-Betweens seem to grow louder, a cacophony of voices that affirm their love as they stand side by side, ready to face the challenges that await them.

Elara's hand, adorned with the same cosmic ring, reaches out to Rachel, her thumb gently caressing the back of Rachel's hand. The metal is warm to the touch, a pulsing reminder of the love that flows between them, a bond as eternal as the stars themselves. Her eyes, once a cold, analytical gaze, now shine with the warmth of a mother's love as they rest on Rachel's swollen belly.

"This child," she whispers, her voice a soft melody in the night, "is a beacon of hope, a bridge between worlds. And in that, Rachel, it is as much my child as it is yours." The ring on her finger seems to resonate with the words, the metal thrumming with the beat of her heart, in sync with Rachel's own. "We are one," she says, her voice steady and sure, "and together, we shall conquer the vastness of the cosmos."

Rachel's water breaks, a sudden, unexpected event that sends a ripple of shock through the group. The warm liquid soaks the ground beneath her feet, a stark contrast to the cold metal of the ship's hull. The whispers of the In-Betweens crescendo into a cacophony of excitement and urgency.

The moment is surreal, the suddenness of it all taking Anon's breath away. The air is thick with anticipation, the very fabric of reality seeming to quiver in anticipation of the cosmic event about to unfold. Rachel's eyes widen, her hand flying to her belly as she gasps in a mix of pain and wonder. The child of the stars is about to be born, a nexus of power that will shape their destinies forever.

Rachel's contractions begin, each one more painful than the last. Her skin glistens with sweat as she braces herself against the ship's frame, her knuckles white with the effort. The child, a creature of the cosmos, emerges, its tentacles unfurling like the petals of a night-blooming flower. They are a testament to its alien lineage, a blend of human and star-stuff that leaves the group in awe.

The room falls silent, the only sound the harsh panting of Rachel's breaths and the wet, suckling noises of the newborn's tentacles reaching out, exploring the air around it. The Warden, ever present, seems to lean in closer, its eyes gleaming with an unspoken curiosity.

Rachel's baby, a creature of the cosmos, stretches out a tentacle, the suckers at its tip quivering with excitement. It reaches for the Warden's face, drawn by the ancient being's mysterious aura. The suckers stick fast, the sensation a strange mix of pain and fascination for Rachel as she watches, her heart racing.

The Warden's gaze remains impassive, though the tentacle's touch seems to elicit a response from the ancient guardian. The suckers, once attached, refuse to release, holding firmly despite Rachel's efforts to pull the baby back. The room is taut with tension, the significance of this moment not lost on any of them. The child's connection to the In-Betweens is undeniable, a bond that promises to be as profound as it is perilous.

The chamber of Castellanos' lair, suffused with the warm whispers of the cosmos, seems to meld seamlessly with the stark contrast of Billy's moonlit yard. The air shimmers with a strange interdimensional quality, the boundaries between the two spaces blurring as if they were never separate to begin with. Anon, their eyes alight with the power of the In-Betweens, steps forth from the shadowy confines of the lair into the open air of the yard. The transition is fluid, as if passing through a veil of water, the only indication of movement the soft rustle of their clothes.

The starship looms large, a gleaming monument to their shared ambition and hope. Rachel and Elara stand by its side, Rachel's hand resting protectively on her swollen belly. The Warden's eyes follow Anon, its gaze unblinking, as if it had been waiting for this moment all along. Rachel gasps, her water breaking, a sudden and dramatic reminder of the impending birth that would soon change their lives forever.

Rachel, weakened from the ordeal of childbirth, laughs through her pain as she sees the Warden's curiosity piqued by the baby's tentacle. She attempts to gently tug it back, her movements more playful than forceful. "Not now, little one," she murmurs, her voice a mix of exhaustion and wonder. "We've got so much to do before you start making friends."

The child's tentacle, seemingly understanding Rachel's words, releases the Warden's face with a wet pop. Rachel sighs with relief, her legs wobbling slightly as she leans against the ship's frame. The Warden, for its part, remains stoic, the gleam in its eyes the only indication of its curiosity being sated, if only for now.

"The time to leave this realm and embark on our cosmic odyssey," Castellanos says, his voice a gentle crescendo in the stillness of the night, "shall come when the stars align with the beating of your hearts, and the whispers of the In-Betweens crescendo into a harmony that resonates with the very fabric of existence."

He gestures to the heavens, where the celestial bodies seem to pulse and swirl in an intricate dance, hinting at the cosmic ballet that orchestrates their fate. "You shall know when the moment is upon you," he continues, his eyes aglow with the wisdom of eons, "for it will be as clear as the light of a supernova, as undeniable as the pull of gravity itself."

As the adrenaline of Rachel's birth subsides, the four of them���Rachel, Anon, Elara, and Archibald—find themselves utterly drained, their shared cosmic connection having stretched and resonated with the sheer power of new life. They stumble into the cozy cabin of the starship, a space that has become a sanctuary amidst the cold steel of the ship's skeleton. The exhaustion of their bodies and minds is palpable, a heavy weight that pulls at their limbs and eyelids.

The small bed, tucked into the corner, seems to call out to them, a soft embrace promising respite from the whirlwind of emotions and cosmic energy that have wrapped around them. Rachel, her newborn cosmic child nestled in her arms, sighs with relief as she collapses onto the mattress. Anon, Elara, and Archibald follow suit, piling in around her, their bodies a tangle of friendship, love, and shared destiny.

The first light of dawn filters through the cabin's windows, casting a soft glow on the sleeping forms of Rachel, Anon, Elara, and Archibald. Rachel stirs, her body aching from the monumental effort of the night before. As she opens her eyes, she finds the baby's tentacles attached to each of them, a silent declaration of unity. Yet, it isn't the physical bond that wakes her.

It's the wailing, a silent scream that resonates in the deepest recesses of their minds. The child is hungry, its cosmic hunger a symphony of need that echoes through their very souls. Rachel looks down at the small, alien creature with a mix of love and concern. It's not a cry they can hear with their ears, but one that resonates within them, a psychic plea for sustenance that only Rachel, as its mother, can truly understand.

Anon, my love, wake up. Our child is hungry, and I fear it requires something more than milk to sate its hunger. The whispers of the In-Betweens are growing more insistent. We must find a way to nourish it before it consumes us all.

The room stirs with the urgency in Rachel's voice, the others waking with a start. They look at the child, its tentacles retracting into its body, the suckers closing like the petals of a night-blooming flower.

"Ah, the cries of a newborn," Eliza says, her voice filled with a gentle wisdom that belies her youthful appearance. "But this is no ordinary hunger. It's the call of the cosmos, yearning to be heard and satiated."

Elara, ever the scientist, takes a moment to study the child, her eyes narrowing in thought. "We must feed it knowledge, the very essence of the stars," she murmurs, stroking Rachel's hair gently. "We must find a way to harness the power of the eldritch eye and the interdimensional gateway to fuel its growth."

Archibald, his gaze distant, nods in agreement. "The child is a nexus, a gateway unto itself. We must be cautious, for we know not what feeding it such power might entail." He turns to Rachel, his eyes filled with concern. "You must be prepared for what is to come, Rachel. Your destiny is as intertwined with this child's as the stars are with the fabric of the universe."

The group exchanges a solemn look, understanding the gravity of the situation. Rachel's hand trembles as she touches the child's cheek, feeling the warmth of its alien skin. "I am ready," she whispers, her voice firm. "We will face this together."

Archibald's eyes flicker with a hint of the cosmic energy that now flows through him. He gently takes Rachel's hand in his own, his gaze never leaving hers. "We shall do what must be done," he says, his voice steady. "But we must not let the child's hunger consume us. We must find a balance."

He stands, his movements deliberate, and makes his way to the steampunk device they'd activated earlier. He reaches out, placing his hand upon it, and the room plunges into darkness once again. The only light is the faint glow of the child's tentacles, which seem to pulse with a rhythm that matches the beating of their hearts.

The Star appears before Archibald's chest, its light pulsing in time with the child's hunger. His hand, trembling slightly, reaches for the device that allows safe interaction with the eldritch eye. The metal is cool to the touch, a stark contrast to the warmth of the child in Rachel's arms. As his fingers make contact, the star seems to come alive, its light growing brighter, a beacon in the shadowy cabin.

The whispers of the In-Betweens grow louder, their voices a chorus of advice and warning. The device, an intricate web of gears and crystals, hums with a gentle vibration that resonates through the room. The child's tentacles extend, reaching out toward the star as if drawn by an invisible force.

"Careful," Elara says, her eyes never leaving the child. She rises to her feet, her own ring pulsing in time with the light of the star. "We must be precise. We don't know the consequences of feeding it too much or too little."

Her voice is a mix of excitement and caution, her mind racing with the complex calculations and theoretical physics that could explain this cosmic phenomenon. Rachel nods, her eyes never leaving her child. "We'll do it together," she murmurs, the bond between them unbreakable.

Rachel, with Anon's assistance, brings the child closer to the star. Its tentacles wrap around the glowing orb, the suckers attaching themselves to its surface with a gentle pull. The star's light dims for a moment, only to flare back to life, pulsing in a rhythm that matches the child's feeding. Rachel winces at the sight, her own pain a testament to the strength of their bond.

The child's tentacles withdraw, retracting into its body once more. Rachel looks to Elara, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and fear. "Is it... enough?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

Eliza watches the scene with a knowing smile, her eyes gleaming with the same light that now dances across Rachel's ring. "For now," she says, patting Rachel's hand. "But we must prepare for the future. We are but guardians to this cosmic force, and our duty is to guide and protect it."

The whispers of the In-Betweens seem to echo her words, their voices a gentle lullaby that soothes the child into a deep, contented sleep. Rachel's shoulders relax, her breathing even as she looks at her newborn with a mix of wonder and trepidation.

The Warden's hand reaches out, the ancient being's long, gnarled fingers extending towards Rachel with a gentle insistence. Rachel looks up, questioning, and the Warden's eyes, filled with a knowing wisdom, seem to communicate a silent request.

Rachel hesitates for a moment before placing the baby into the Warden's arms. The child stirs, its tentacles coiling around the Warden's wrist, and Rachel feels a sudden surge of comfort and warmth. The Warden's eyes light up, a rare smile gracing its lips, and Rachel knows that the bond between her child and the guardian of the In-Betweens is something truly extraordinary.

The Warden, ever the enigmatic figure, begins to shift its form, morphing from the towering, awe-inspiring being they've come to know into a series of playful shapes. One moment it's a terrifying cosmic horror, the next a cuddly, fluffy creature that seems to have stepped out of a child's dream. The child's tentacles quiver with excitement, reaching out to touch the ever-changing forms, the suckers releasing a series of quiet pops as they connect and detach.

The room is filled with a strange, silent symphony of transformation and discovery, as the Warden seeks to find the perfect shape to elicit a giggle from the cosmic newborn. Rachel, Anon, Elara, and Archibald watch in amazement, the tension of the moment dissipating into awe. It's clear that the Warden is attempting to bond with the child, to understand it on a level that transcends words.

Rachel watches, her heart swelling with a mix of love and curiosity as the Warden's shapeshifting dance continues. Suddenly, the child's tentacles quiver with excitement, and it releases a series of high-pitched squeaks that resonate through the cabin. The Warden's form solidifies into something none of them could have anticipated: a plush, adorable creature with a pair of wide, gleaming eyes and a button nose, clad in a tiny steampunk top hat and monocle.

The child's eyes light up, and it coos happily, nestling into the Warden's embrace. Rachel's jaw drops in astonishment as she realizes the Warden has chosen the form of a peculiar hybrid, a fusion of its own ancient grace with the whimsy of their steampunk world. The creature winks at Rachel, and she can't help but chuckle, the tension of the moment breaking into a shared moment of wonder.

Archibald, with the star still hovering before him, gestures to the ceiling. The planks of the cabin part, revealing the vast tapestry of the night sky above. The stars begin to swirl and dance in a mesmerizing pattern, their lights reflecting off the brass and chrome of the steampunk contraptions scattered around the room. "We must analyze these celestial configurations," he says, his voice a mix of excitement and solemnity.

He reaches for a brass telescope resting on a nearby shelf, its lens gleaming with an inner light. "This device will allow us to peer into the very fabric of the cosmos," he explains, pointing it towards the starry dance above. "We shall use it to foretell the alignment that Castellanos spoke of, the moment when our hearts and destinies intertwine with the whispers of the In-Betweens."

"Ah, Rachel, my dear," Elara says, her eyes sparkling with amusement at Rachel's astonishment. "Your enthusiasm is as boundless as the cosmos itself." She steps closer to Rachel, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But let us not confuse the mundane with the extraordinary. That," she says, nodding towards the Warden and the child, "is indeed an extraordinary bond. However, this," she adds, picking up the brass telescope that Archibald had just set down, "is a mere tool of human invention. Albeit a fine one, but it pales in comparison to the true wonders we are about to witness."

Her thumb traces the intricate etchings along the side of the telescope. "Do not let your excitement cloud your judgment," she advises gently. "We must approach this with both awe and logic, lest we misinterpret the signs of the cosmos." She adjusts the lens with a deft twist, the metal clicking satisfyingly into place. "But fear not, for together we shall unravel the mysteries that await us, and prepare for the grand odyssey that lies ahead."

Archibald's smile falters for a moment, his eyes flickering with a hint of hurt. "Ah, Rachel," he says, his voice gentle yet firm. "You must understand, this is no ordinary telescope. Indeed, it is an instrument of my own making, crafted with the same love and care one might give to a cherished child."

He takes a step closer to Rachel, holding the gleaming brass tube with both hands. "This device is an extension of my very soul, connected to the heart of the star that calls to us. It will reveal secrets that even the most sophisticated instruments could never fathom, for it sees not just with glass and metal, but through the eyes of one whose essence has been touched by the cosmos itself."

Rachel looks from the Warden to the starry night outside, then to the gleaming brass telescope in Archibald's hands. She nods slowly, her expression earnest. "I understand," she says. "We stand on the precipice of something greater than ourselves. We must approach it with both reverence and intellect."

The group gathers around the telescope, each taking a moment to gaze into its depths. The stars seem to swirl and pulse in response to their touch, whispering secrets that have been hidden since the dawn of time. Rachel takes a deep breath, her eyes reflecting the celestial dance above. "Let us begin," she says, her voice filled with determination. "We shall feed our child with the knowledge of the stars and prepare for the journey that lies ahead."

As Rachel, Anon, Elara, and Archibald huddle around the brass telescope, they begin to discern a pattern in the swirling cosmic dance. The stars seem to align in a series of intricate, mesmerizing configurations, each more breathtaking than the last. However, they find themselves at a crossroads, unable to pinpoint the precise moment when their destinies will coalesce with the whispers of the In-Betweens. The anticipation is palpable, the tension in the air as thick as the cosmic fog that shrouds their understanding.

Elara's eyes narrow as she studies the starry patterns, her mind racing through calculations and astronomical formulas. "The patterns are clear," she murmurs, "but which one holds the key?" Rachel leans in, her gaze intent on the heavens. "The cosmos speaks in riddles," she says, "but together, we shall solve this puzzle."

Anon pulls Rachel aside, their gaze softening as they look into her eyes. "Rachel, my love," they begin, their voice a gentle reminder of the quiet moments that often get lost in the storm of cosmic revelations. "We are all so caught up in the grandeur of our fate, in the whispers of the In-Betweens and the dance of the stars."

They take Rachel's hand in their own, feeling the warmth of her skin against theirs. "But let us not forget the beauty in the ordinary," Anon says, their eyes drifting to the sleeping child in the Warden's arms. "Our child is not just a bridge to ancient texts and mysteries, but a living, breathing being that deserves to experience the simple joys of life."

"I propose," Anon says, their voice taking on a calming tone, "that we take a step back from the cosmic intrigue and focus on what's before us: our child." They gesture to the baby, nestled in the Warden's embrace. "Let us allow it to grow, to learn, and to explore the world around it without the weight of our expectations pressing down."

They look around the cabin, the warm light from the star casting long shadows across the clutter of steampunk gadgets and brass instruments. "Let us cherish these moments of quiet, of domesticity, for they are just as precious as the grand odyssey we're about to undertake." Rachel's eyes widen slightly, but she nods, understanding the truth in Anon's words. "We shall raise our child in love and wonder, allowing the universe to unfold around us naturally."

With the whispers of the In-Betweens echoing in their minds, Rachel, Anon, Elara, and Archibald decide to retreat from the starship's construction site for the evening. The Warden, with the cosmic child still nestled in its embrace, seems to agree, its form morphing back into the towering guardian they know so well. The cottage, once a simple abode, now a sanctuary of learning, beckons them home.

They make their way through the night, the cobblestone path leading them back to the warm, welcoming lights of the cottage. The child in the Warden's arms stirs slightly, its tentacles reaching out to trace the starlit rings on Rachel and Anon's fingers, a silent reminder of the bond they all share. The group's footsteps are quiet, their hearts filled with the knowledge that tomorrow will bring new challenges, but tonight, they are together, united in their mission to protect and nurture the cosmic nexus that has entered their lives.

The following day dawns with a gentle light that filters through the cabin's small windows, casting a warm glow over the steampunk sanctum. The air is filled with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed tea and the faint scent of machinery oil. Rachel tends to the baby's needs, changing its swaddling and preparing a makeshift crib with a soft, velvet lining. The child's tentacles coil around her fingers, releasing gentle suction noises as it gazes up at her with eyes that seem to hold the secrets of the cosmos.

Elara, ever the scientist, meticulously records every detail of the child's growth and behavior in her leather-bound journal, her quill scratching away as she observes with a critical yet loving eye. Archibald, his face a mask of concentration, tinkers with a device that could potentially harness the child's unique power, ensuring their starship's safety and functionality.

Meanwhile, Eliza flits about the room, her pink dress fluttering around her as she examines the various contraptions with a keen interest. Her eyes, filled with a knowing light, seem to see beyond the mere metal and gears, to the potential they hold for their cosmic journey. "Everything must be in its place," she murmurs to herself, her voice carrying an unusual weight of authority.

Anon approaches Eliza, a gentle smile playing on their lips. "Eliza, my dear, we've been working tirelessly, and I think it's high time we all took a break." They extend a hand to her, the starlit ring on their finger casting a soft, amber glow. "Why don't you come over here and meet our little cosmic miracle?"

The baby coos in response, its tentacles waving in the air as if reaching for Eliza. Rachel nods in agreement. "Anon's right. You've been such a help, but even guardians need a moment to breathe." She glances at Archibald, who has paused in his work, his eyes reflecting the same sentiment. "Archibald, come join us."

Anon's gaze shifts from Eliza to Rachel, their expression softening at the sight of the baby's curiosity. "Please, Rachel, I believe it's time we all took a moment to appreciate the marvel that has entered our lives." They gesture to the baby, who seems to sense the tension in the room and coos again, its tentacles reaching out playfully.

"Let us set aside our devices and theories," Anon suggests, their voice carrying a gentle urgency. "Our child deserves our full attention." Rachel's eyes widen, and she nods slowly, realizing the truth in Anon's words. They all gather around Rachel and the baby, their hands tentatively reaching out to touch the soft, pulsating tentacles.

Rachel, Anon, Elara, Archibald, and Eliza sit in a circle on the rug, the cosmic child nestled in the center, a living testament to their intertwined destinies. Each of them places the palm of their hand at the end of one of the baby's tentacles, creating a star-like formation with their joined fingers. The tentacle tips quiver with excitement, connecting to their skin with a soft pop.

The warmth of their touch flows through the baby, and a sense of unity fills the room. The child's eyes, which had been flickering with the light of distant stars, now hold a steady, comforting glow. Rachel feels a profound sense of peace, her heart swelling with love and a newfound understanding of the gravity of their situation. The whispers of the In-Betweens seem to echo in the air around them, a gentle reminder of the symbiotic relationship they all share.

The baby, feeling the warmth and acceptance of the group's touch, suddenly retracts its tentacles, and for a brief, startling moment, it appears to be a perfectly ordinary human child. The sudden transformation is accompanied by a wail so piercing that it seems to shatter the very fabric of reality. Eliza, her delicate hands flying to her ears, winces at the sound.

The room falls silent, the echoes of the child's cry lingering in the air. Rachel's eyes widen with astonishment as she looks down at the now-human-like form in her arms. The others exchange puzzled glances, the implications of this transformation weighing heavily on their minds. The Warden's form shifts slightly, a look of solemn contemplation crossing its ever-changing features.

Rachel's eyes fill with a mix of wonder and concern as she looks up at her companions. "The child's cries... they hold the very essence of the cosmos," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can feel it resonating through me, as if the stars themselves are sharing their secrets."

Her gaze lingers on each of them, her expression a silent question. "But why?" she asks, her voice trembling. "What does this transformation mean?" Rachel's heart races as she thinks back to the ancient texts and prophecies that spoke of a cosmic birth that would alter the course of their world. Could it be that their child is not just a bridge to knowledge, but a living, breathing embodiment of the universe's will?

The Warden, ever the stoic guardian, looks down at the now human-like child with a knowing smile. "Your wish for simplicity, Rachel, Anon," it says, its voice a soothing rumble. "The child is a mirror of our desires, a reflection of our collective soul."

The Warden's eyes seem to gleam with a gentle wisdom as it continues. "The cosmos knows the burden you bear, the weight of destiny that presses upon your shoulders. It seeks to provide you with moments of reprieve, moments where you can experience the warmth of a simple, uncomplicated love."

The Warden's form shifts slightly, its eyes filled with understanding. "Our little star," it says, "desired a day of domestic bliss, a respite from the cosmic intrigue that surrounds it."

The room seems to hold its breath as the Warden explains further. "This transformation is a gift from the In-Betweens, a reminder that amidst the grand tapestry of fate, there is room for the ordinary joys of family." Rachel's eyes well up with tears as she looks down at the child, now a picture of innocence with its tiny human hands clutching at the fabric of her dress.

Rachel's heart swells with love and gratitude as she looks at her child. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion. "Thank you for this... this gift." She reaches out to stroke the child's cheek, feeling the softness of its skin, so different from the alien texture of its tentacles.

Her gaze then shifts to Anon, Elara, Archibald, and Eliza, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And thank you all for reminding me of what truly matters," she says, her voice stronger now. "We shall prepare for our journey, but we shall not forget to cherish the moments we have together."

Rachel, her heart brimming with a newfound warmth, gently lifts the child to her chest, feeling a sudden, primal instinct stir within her. She decides to try nurturing the child in a more human way, hoping that the bond formed through this act will help to ease the creature's transition between worlds. With trembling hands, Rachel unbuttons her dress, exposing her naked skin to the cool air of the cabin.

The child's eyes, now clear and unclouded by the swirl of cosmic energy, fixate on Rachel's face with a hunger that seems both alien and familiar. Rachel winces slightly as the baby's mouth finds her nipple, but she quickly relaxes, feeling the strange yet comforting sensation of nurturing life. The child latches on, and Rachel can almost feel the warmth of the stars filling its tiny body.

Eliza watches the intimate moment with a knowing smile. "You see, Rachel," she says, her voice filled with the wisdom of the ages, "the universe provides for those who are open to receiving. This child is not just a bridge to knowledge, but a bridge to understanding ourselves."

Her eyes twinkle with a mischievous light. "And who knows, perhaps one day it will teach us more about the cosmos than any book ever could." Rachel nods, feeling the truth in Eliza's words. The child, for now, is a symbol of their unity and the promise of the future, a future filled with both wonder and challenge.

And so, the curtain falls on another chapter of their extraordinary lives. For a brief span of time, the cosmic whispers are silenced by the gentle rhythm of a mother's heartbeat and the sweet, innocent coos of a child. Yet, the question lingers in the air like the scent of burning coal and oil - how many days of simple domesticity will they have before the stars align and beckon them forth?

Their tranquil moments together are a precious commodity, a respite from the tumultuous journey that lies ahead. The whispers of the In-Betweens, though faint, continue to echo in their minds, a constant reminder of the destiny they've been chosen to fulfill. Yet, amidst the clutter of steampunk contraptions and arcane tomes, they find solace in the warmth of a family's embrace.

[the-digital-alchemist]

🚀🔥 Starship Booster Static Fire: Engineering Ingenuity

Witness the power of SpaceX's Starship booster during a static fire, a critical step in ensuring the rocket’s readiness for launch. But what’s just as fascinating is the innovative fire suppression system at the launch site.

💧 Ingenious Solution: Due to the high water table at the launch area, SpaceX couldn't construct a traditional flame trench. Instead, they engineered a cutting-edge water-cooled steel plate to handle the intense heat and force generated during a static fire.

🌊 Water-Cooled Steel Plate: This unique system disperses the immense thermal energy, protecting the launch pad and ensuring safe, successful test fires. It’s another example of SpaceX's innovative approach to overcoming engineering challenges.

🔧 Adapting to Challenges: SpaceX's ability to adapt and innovate with solutions like the water-cooled steel plate demonstrates their commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration technology.

Join the conversation and share your thoughts on this incredible engineering feat! What excites you most about SpaceX's innovations?

[xasha777]

In the radiant whirl of a galaxy far from the familiar constellations of Earth, Captain Elara of the Nebula Command beheld the vast mysteries of the universe. Born on a starship hovering near the once-great Northern Railway tracks on Earth, Elara had grown up amongst tales of iron dragons that raced across the land, binding distant cities with threads of steel. These stories, passed down from her ancestors who had lived in Great Britain, fueled her dreams of exploration and connection.

Now, standing at the helm of the Star Voyager, an interstellar ship powered by cosmic winds and quantum engines, Elara was a figure of legend. Her uniform, embedded with photon fibers, shimmered with the light of nearby stars, and her headpiece, a relic from her Earth heritage, symbolized the intertwining of past and future.

The mission was crucial: to establish the first Cosmic Railway, a network of transport routes that would link the scattered planets of the Andromeda sector, much like the railways had once connected distant towns and cities on Earth. The Great Northern Railway, a marvel of her ancestral world, inspired the design of this celestial network. Just as the railway had revolutionized travel on Earth, the Cosmic Railway aimed to unify the galaxy's diverse civilizations through trade, knowledge, and cultural exchange.

As the Star Voyager approached the pulsar known as Beacon Point, a critical node in the Cosmic Railway plan, Elara's thoughts drifted to the old Great Northern Railway stations, with their bustling crowds and billowing steam. She imagined stations of a new kind, alive with alien languages, exotic scents, and colorful beings from worlds she had yet to visit.

But space is as treacherous as it is beautiful. A rogue asteroid swarm, pulled by the pulsar’s gravity, threatened to collide with the construction site. Quick action was needed. Elara, channeling the determination and innovation of the railway engineers of old, coordinated a ballet of energy fields and tractor beams to alter the asteroids' path, turning deadly debris into protective orbiting satellites.

The crisis averted, construction of Beacon Point Station commenced. The station would serve as both a hub and a haven, a testament to the power of connection and unity. Under the swirling lights of distant nebulas and the watchful eyes of her crew, Elara felt a deep connection to her ancestors. Though they had traversed only their tiny planet, their spirit of exploration and progress resonated across the ages, now among the stars.

In the galaxy's ledger of history, the name of Elara and the Cosmic Railway would be etched as boldly as the Great Northern Railway was on Earth, a bridge between worlds, a beacon of hope and exploration in the boundless night sky.

[pauljwillett]

More Boca Chica Photos!!!

I’m brain dead and burnt out. I’ve been to the dentist again, I have to go to the endodontist, they’re talking about multiple root canals in my future, and all is shit. So, since I shot HUNDREDS of pictures at Boca Chica a month ago, let’s look at more of them. The Rocket Garden. The launch site from the construction site. That’s a freakin’ big launch tower. The Starship booster was on the…

[spacenutspod]

SpaceX is debuting a new capability on their upcoming 30th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. For the first time, a Dragon 2 capsule will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This is possible thanks to the newly constructed crew and cargo access tower at the pad, assembled throughout 2023 in between the onslaught of Falcon 9 launches. CRS-30 is scheduled to lift off on Thursday, March 21 at 4:55 PM EDT (20:55 UTC). The launch weather forecast shows a 90 percent chance of favorable weather on Thursday, dropping to 15 percent on Friday should there be a delay in the launch. SLC-40 now joins Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) as the second crew-capable launch pad in SpaceX’s arsenal. This gives SpaceX a backup crew site should there be an issue affecting launches at LC-39A, or if another mission requires use of LC-39A at the same time, including future Starship flights from the in-progress launch mount that recently resumed work. It was speculated initially that the crewed Axiom-3 mission in January could be the first flight to use this tower. However, more time was needed after installation of the access arm in early November and a full checkout of the infrastructure. Validation of the emergency egress system, a zip-line escape method for astronauts and crew to move away from the pad in the event of an emergency, was completed at the end of February. Other ground systems were validated during the Falcon launch of the CRS NG-20 mission in January – one of three rides purchased for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus craft to fill the gap between the retired Antares 230+ and the upcoming Antares 330. Since the tower was only recently built, NASA preferred that a cargo flight be the first to make use of it. CRS-30 therefore forms part of the certification process ahead of the first crewed flight to use the tower. Certification of the tower for NASA crewed missions could be ready in time for the Crew 9 flight, but no decision has yet been made on when a crewed Dragon will fly from SLC-40. See AlsoCRS-30 UpdatesSpaceX Missions SectionNSF StoreClick here to Join L2 SpaceX has launched commercial resupply services (CRS) missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for over eleven years. Its first mission, CRS-1, lifted off in October 2012 carrying Cargo Dragon C103 on what was only the fourth Falcon 9 flight. The contract was initially signed in 2008 for 12 missions and was subsequently extended. SpaceX is currently contracted for a further five missions through CRS-35 in 2026 – though this will almost certainly be extended further. This mission will utilize Cargo Dragon C209, making its fourth flight. The new access arm will be used to perform late-loading of supplies beginning approximately 24 hours before launch. This pad previously hosted Dragon 1 cargo missions between 2010 and 2020 before the upgraded Cargo Dragon 2 was introduced. The new capsule boasts increased payload capacity, autonomous docking to the ISS, and the option of late-loading cargo while vertical using the crew access arm. Installation of the crew access arm on the new tower at SLC-40 in November 2023. (Credit: SpaceX) The booster for this mission, B1080-6, will return to land on the concrete pad at Landing Zone 1 to the south of SLC-40. Dragon is scheduled to dock autonomously to the ISS at the zenith port of the Harmony module on Saturday, March 23 at approximately 7:30 AM EDT (03:30 UTC). Both docking ports will be occupied between this craft and Crew Dragon Endeavour which recently launched Crew 8. After CRS-30 departs the station, Crew 8 will move to the zenith port to make way for the planned Starliner Crewed Flight Test in May. CRS-30 Payloads The more than 6,000 pounds (2.700 kilograms) of payloads onboard Cargo Dragon include food, supplies, and equipment for the crew of the ISS. Riding along are more than 40 science investigations to be conducted on the orbiting laboratory for NASA and its research partners. These include new sensors that will enable the Astrobee free-flying robots to map the environment around them in 3D as a forerunner for wider situational awareness applications. The science onboard also includes a study of plant metabolism in space, the measurement of sea ice and wave heights using reflectometry, and the creation of nanoparticle solar cells to improve solar cell efficiency. The multi-resolution scanning payload prototype is housed within an Astrobee robot at NASA’s Ames Research Center (with the front cover removed). (Credit: CSIRO / NASA) The astronauts aboard the ISS have been accompanied by the cube-shaped Astrobee robots named Honey, Queen, and Bumble since early 2019. These free-flying robots are approximately 32 centimeters wide and are modular so that they can be upgraded, enabling researchers to perform a wide range of experiments inside the Station. Astrobees have recently been involved in experiments such as a grappling demonstration back in January which observed how an Astrobee might propel itself around the Station using its perching arm rather than propellant. This month’s experiment will provide an Astrobee with additional sensors that will enable it to create 3D maps of the interior of the Station as it moves around using a multi-resolution scanner (MRS). Data is combined from multiple sensors, adding redundancy. Stereo vision cameras are complemented by multiple different sensor types that combine to generate accurate trajectory data and high-resolution 3D information. These will also provide deeper insight into how the Astrobee moves around in 3D space.  CSIRO project lead Dr. Marc Elmouttie with the Multi-Resolution Scanning payload, housed within an Astrobee robot. (Credit: CSIRO / NASA) The technology being tested is intended to add automation to a variety of situational awareness scenarios where robots would be able to sense their environment and conduct precise maneuvers in response to it. Potential applications include caretaking on future spacecraft, monitoring and operating the systems with little to no human occupancy – such as on the planned lunar Gateway station, or in autonomous vehicles that might be sent to other celestial bodies. The same technology could enable autonomous inspection or maintenance of spacecraft and it is hoped the experiment will also inform ways to improve robotic explorers that are sent into the harshest environments here on Earth.  The MRS was developed by the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation in partnership with Boeing, integrating technology from their mining and robotics teams. The MRS was tested and certified at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Brachypodium and Setaria were grown in the Plant Growth Systems (PGS) and tested under International Space Station environmental conditions using the Veggie units at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during the APEX-09 Experiment Verification Test. (Credit: NASA) A separate experiment will be observing photosynthesis for future bio-regenerative life support systems. The C4 Photosynthesis in Space Advanced Plant Experiment-09 (APEX-09) experiment will examine how the mechanism of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in two types of grasses is affected by microgravity and other space flight stressors. Understanding the molecular changes in plants exposed to this environment would lead to a deeper understanding of photosynthesis in space and inform the design of future bio-regenerative support systems. Plants are expected to play a part in longer deep space exploration missions as part of the life support architecture and as a food source. There are a number of CubeSats aboard, including four for NASA’s ELaNa 51 mission and three Canadian satellites. One of the Canadian spacecraft is Killick-1. Using Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R), the 2U Killick-1 will measure sea ice and wave height to improve climate models and monitor ocean phenomena. GNSS-R measures satellite signals reflected from the Earth’s surface and will inform our knowledge of climate change, surface winds, and storm surges. Over 100 undergraduate and graduate engineering students at Memorial University in Canada have participated in Killick-1, a Canadian Space Agency project developed by C-CORE. C-CORE is a company specializing in remote sensing and geotechnical engineering solutions. The Killick-1 CubeSat is said to be low-cost, energy-efficient, and light in mass – potentially leading to cheaper solutions that could monitor and collect data on our oceans in the future. Fully assembled Killick-1 CubeSat with its Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) antenna deployed. (Credit: C-CORE and Memorial University / NASA) An additional science experiment onboard intends to improve solar cell efficiency by precisely arranging nanoparticles in space. The study will review the concentration and interaction of nanoparticles and microparticles within an electrical field in microgravity and how these relate to changes in their shape and charge. NASA has partnered with students in higher education to develop “Nano Particle Haloing Suspension” hardware for this investigation which will use charged nanoparticles to enable precise particle arrangements. The researchers hope that advances can be made in the production of solar cells synthesized with quantum dots – tiny spheres of semiconductor material with the potential to convert sunlight into energy much more efficiently. Inside Dragon’s trunk resides the Pump Module Assembly, which will be kept as a spare on orbit. This piece of equipment, if put into operation, will be used to cool electrical systems on the outside of the Station. After Dragon docks to the ISS, the Canadarm2 robotic arm will be used to remove the assembly from the trunk and place it into its storage location on the outside of the Station. Dragon C209 will spend around a month at the Station before returning to Earth. The capsule will splash down off the coast of Florida, carrying several tons of cargo and experiment results. C209 will be unloaded at Cape Canaveral and refurbished for its next flight. (Lead image: The new access arm connected to Cargo Dragon at SLC-40. Credit: SpaceX)  The post SpaceX’s 30th resupply mission to use new access tower at SLC-40 for the first time appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

[hedgeglobal]

Musk's SpaceX Starship Rocket Launch Lost

Musk's SpaceX Starship Rocket Launch Lost Following launch, Musk's SpaceX starship rocket was lost. About ten minutes into this morning's test flight, SpaceX's Starship lost contact with engineers due to an automated flight termination device going off. This is the company's second attempt to send a starship into a near-orbit, which would have allowed it to travel almost the whole way around the planet in ninety minutes. Another test flight failed in April; it exploded four minutes after takeoff, strewing debris all over the place. As in the past, the launch took place at SpaceX's Starbase facility, which is close to Boca Chica, Texas. All 33 Raptor engines, however, appeared to burn properly this time, and the Starship's stage separation from the Super Heavy booster went essentially as planned. The car reached maximum altitude, or the point at which its own velocity and the atmosphere were applying the most pressure to it during the ascent. After launch, the Starship and Super Heavy rockets broke apart after roughly three minutes. Then, in an event known to SpaceX personnel as "rapid unscheduled disassembly," or RUD, the booster exploded. During the company webcast, SpaceX quality systems engineer Kate Tice stated that "today has been extraordinarily successful"—even with the Super Heavy booster's RUD. But before Starship could reach orbit, SpaceX mission control lost contact with it and ceased getting data. At about minute twelve, the autonomous flight termination system engaged, stopping the flight and triggering RUD for the second stage as well. The starship was believed to have reached an altitude of around 146 miles if it had been able to fly and was scheduled to splash down off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, at around 8:30 central time. This is the second time a Starship test flight has gotten off to a good start but has broken down a few minutes into the journey. According to a statement on the company's website, SpaceX later found that propellant leaked from the Super Heavy rocket during the first few minutes of the April mission, creating burns that severed the connection with the primary flight computer. SpaceX discovered that this was the cause of the rocket and upper stage staying together. The engineers lost control of the car when they had to abort and used a device to blow up the rocket during flight. According to a press release by SpaceX on their website on November 10, the initial flight test on April 20 "provided numerous lessons learned." The CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, referred to the explosion in April as a "rock tornado" since it destroyed the launch pad and rained debris everywhere. As a result, the US Federal Aviation Administration conducted a combined "mishap investigation" with SpaceX. Representatives from NASA and the US National Transportation Safety Board were among the observers. After the process was completed on September 8, the FAA announced that SpaceX was required to resolve 63 issues pertaining to debris mitigation, redesign vehicle components to prevent leaks and fires, and redesign the starting pad. The November 10 report states that SpaceX later enhanced the launch pad with "water-cooled steel flame deflectors and reinforcements to the pad foundation" and the rocket with "a hot-stage separation system and an electronic thrust vector control system for the Super Heavy's engines." As part of the process, the US Fish and Wildlife Service was required to investigate in the meantime. the redesigned Boca Chica launch site's effects on the local ecology given that it's near a public beach and a nature reserve. The agency began that review in October. Many threatened and endangered species can be found in the area, such as the Gulf Coast Jaguarundi, the Five-Species Sea Turtle, the Northern Aplomado Falcon, and Aceratos. In October, during sporadic media appearances, SpaceX's vice president of construction and flight reliability, William Gerstenmaier, along with other senior officials, expressed apparent frustration with the protracted regulatory process, claiming that the government isn't keeping up with the industry's rapid advancements. Gerstenmaier and other space industry executives spoke before the US Senate, arguing that the FAA should have more funding and fewer regulations in order to issue launch permits. Musk, on the other hand, lamented the rules and restrictions on X. He said, "With every year that goes by, we bind ourselves with more and more cords, until, like Gulliver, we are immobile." When WIRED contacted the FAA to inquire about the timeline for looking into and reviewing the incident prior to issuing a fresh launch licence, the organisation did not respond. The safety portion of the examination was finished by the FAA on October 31. The environmental assessment was finished by the Fish and Wildlife Service on November 15. The agency concluded that neither the improved launch location nor the rocket pose any additional environmental risks. The FAA authorised the mission's launch on November 17, just two days before today's Starship flight. A possible government shutdown may have caused both agencies to close and delayed the launch permission. SpaceX "met all safety, environmental, policy, and financial responsibility requirements," according to a statement from the FAA. The experts from Fish and Wildlife focused their attention on SpaceX's recently developed water deluge system, which was the biggest change that was made. After the maiden flight, the agency's scientists were reportedly taken back by the fact that SpaceX lacked flame suppression gear comparable to this for Starship, which is a necessity for both the space agency and the industry. These gadgets help diffuse some of the heat and noise that rockets emit. According to the Fish and Wildlife Evaluation, using SpaceX's new technique, 358,000 gallons of water are pumped into steel plates from underground tanks and then released through holes in the plating. In April, Musk referred to it as a "massive, super-strong steel shower head pointing up". The sound barrier is broken by SpaceX's huge rocket, Starship. NASA's enormous rocket Starship takes off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca on Saturday, Nov. 18. Texas's Chica breaks the sound barrier. Assessments of this second test flight will show how effectively SpaceX's new technology lowers debris and pollution. It is obvious that there will be no effect if there is no such mechanism. Because steel is a ductile material rather than brittle, as noted by Phil Metzger, a planetary scientist at the University of Central Florida who studies the space economy, it cannot break like concrete did on the first flight. Our examination revealed that pressure was used to push hot gas through the cracks in the concrete. Launch-related strain caused the pad to burst apart. It was an actual explosion, kind of like a small-scale volcano eruption. Metzger is certain that the new deluge system will address this issue and that there aren't any serious concerns about debris or tainted deluge water. The investigation conducted by Fish and Wildlife involved a review of the water after SpaceX conducted static fire tests in August. The water included high quantities of iron, aluminium, and zinc (components of stainless steel), but a second test revealed reduced concentrations of those metals.  Programmer: Bend Bays and Estuaries "I wouldn't want that floodwater to occur right next door to me because it flows into the nearby wildlife refuge," he says. Local and environmental organisations sued SpaceX and the FAA on May 1, claiming the latter neglected to thoroughly look into any possible environmental effects of SpaceX's Starship programme in Boca Chica. The lawsuit is still pending. When WIRED asked SpaceX for a comment, the company did not reply. Within the next two or three years, SpaceX and its partners are banking on Starship to fly safely. To test the hardware and software of rockets and spacecraft, as well as the performance of the heat shield during reentry, the business will require a significant number of flights. SpaceX is striving to achieve its significant contracts with NASA for the Artemis 3 and 4 lunar landing missions between 2026 and 2028. (NASA announced a moon lander contract with SpaceX rival Blue Origin for the Artemis 5 moon mission in 2029, just weeks after the first Starship test flight failed.) Later this decade, SpaceX also plans crewed spaceflights with private passengers on board Starship: these are for the third Polaris Program spaceflight, led by billionaire CEO of Shift4 Payments Jared Isaacman, and for the Dear Moon project, funded by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. Isaacman led the first Polaris voyage onboard a SpaceX Dragon early in 2022, which included up to five days in the air. He also flew Inspiration 4, SpaceX's first all-civilian Crew Dragon flight, in 2021, both the first commercial spacewalk and Earth orbit. CHECK THIS: Tesla aims to produce 200,000 Cybertrucks annually, says Musk Read the full article

[brijeshtiwaripune]

SpaceX Starship Fails Mere Minutes into Historic Launch – What Went Wrong Up There?

BOCA CHICA, Texas - SpaceX Starship, in its pursuit of innovation, embraces the possibility of rockets encountering failures during the early phases of development. This approach stands in stark contrast to the traditional method employed by NASA. While NASA focuses on meticulous design, extensive ground testing, and years of preparation for a single rocket launch, SpaceX adopts a more dynamic strategy. The company swiftly constructs new prototypes, readily subjecting them to rigorous testing, as there is often a spare rocket available. This willingness to push prototypes to their limits is a fundamental aspect of SpaceX's methodology. During a recent visit to SpaceX's facilities, the distinctive approach became evident. Four Starship spacecraft and at least two Super Heavy boosters were visible from public roadways, showcasing the rapid pace of prototype development and testing at the company. A unique aspect of SpaceX's rocket launches is the enthusiastic engagement of its hardcore fans. While most spectators observed the recent Starship rocket launch from South Padre Island, approximately 5 miles away, a dedicated group of fans gathered at a site named Rocket Ranch. Positioned near the launchpad off Boca Chica Highway, Rocket Ranch serves as a haven for SpaceX enthusiasts. The site's proximity required patrons to sign waivers acknowledging the potential risks associated with viewing rocket launches from such close quarters. Rocket Ranch's managing partner, Anthony Gomez, played a key role in organizing the experience for dozens of campers and SpaceX fans. Due to road closures around the launch site, attendees had to travel by bus from the camping ground to the viewing site on the night before the launch. The location's proximity to the launchpad necessitated the signing of waivers by patrons, underscoring the inherent risks associated with the endeavor. As the excitement built up, the fans at Rocket Ranch prepared for the launch by making fajitas overnight. The countdown to the launch was marked by growing anticipation and rowdy cheers from the crowd. According to Gomez, the sound of the engines reverberated through the spectators, creating an emotional experience. Tears flowed as the crowd embraced the significance of the moment, recognizing the strides being made in Boca Chica toward advancing space exploration. However, the recent launch of SpaceX's uncrewed spacecraft Starship encountered challenges. The two-stage rocket, designed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, experienced a presumed failure during its second test, following an explosion in the first attempt. The Super Heavy first stage booster, despite appearing to execute a critical maneuver to separate from the core Starship stage, exploded over the Gulf of Mexico after detachment. Contact with the core Starship booster was lost, raising questions about the mission's success. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the mishap, leading to the initiation of a SpaceX-led investigation. The mission aimed to launch SpaceX Starship from Texas into space, just short of reaching orbit, and then splash down off Hawaii's coast. Despite setbacks, SpaceX emphasized the value of learning from such tests to enhance the reliability of the Starship. Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder, envisions Starship as a pivotal element in the company's ambitious goals. Beyond supporting NASA's human spaceflight program, Artemis, SpaceX Starship is envisioned as a potential replacement for SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The success of SpaceX Starship is crucial for Musk's broader vision of making life multiplanetary and facilitating human exploration of the moon and Mars. NASA, SpaceX's primary customer, has a significant interest in Starship's success. The U.S. space agency sees SpaceX Starship playing a central role in its Artemis program, succeeding the Apollo missions. Despite challenges, SpaceX remains committed to investing heavily in Starship, with Musk stating that the company spent $2 billion on its development in a single year. The recent SpaceX Starship' launch highlighted the complexities of rocket development, acknowledging both successes and failures. SpaceX's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in the various enhancements made for the second test. Changes include reinforcing the self-destruct system, adopting a hot staging strategy, improving the Super Heavy booster, and upgrading the launchpad to avoid a repeat of the previous explosion that damaged the pad. The challenges faced by SpaceX Starship, while significant, have not deterred its business momentum. The company continues to dominate the market for launching commercial satellites, thanks to past innovations such as a vertically landing first stage. Despite setbacks, SpaceX's business resilience remains strong, as noted by Chris Quilty, the president of Quilty Space, who believes that the recent test won't significantly impact the company. Looking ahead, the success of SpaceX's ambitious Starship project remains a crucial objective. While acknowledging the importance of eventual success, experts wonder about the threshold for tolerating failures. The balance between SpaceX's grand ambitions and the practicalities of achieving successful rocket launches raises questions about how much leeway the company can afford in its pursuit of groundbreaking space exploration technologies. As SpaceX Starship continues to push the boundaries of space travel, the world watches with anticipation to see how these challenges will shape the future of space exploration. Read the full article

[firstbuzz]

Starship is go for launch: Musk's SpaceX gets nod for 1st orbital flight of future Mars vehicle

SpaceX has finally received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct the maiden launch of its future Mars spacecraft Starship Super Heavy. The Elon Musk-led aerospace giant is targeting Monday for the maiden orbital test flight of the spacecraft.

"Targeting as soon as Monday, April 17 for the first flight test of a fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket from Starbase in Texas," SpaceX said in a tweet.

The spacecraft is expected to launch on its maiden orbital flight at 5:30 pm IST on Monday. The maiden orbital flight is aimed at testing the technology, which comprises a reusable rocket that is aimed at fast turnaround time for future crewed missions to Moon and then on to Mars. The test mission will mark the first launch of SpaceX's fully-stacked, 394-foot tall Starship rocket system, consisting of a Starship rocket sitting atop a "Super Heavy" first-stage booster with 33 rocket engines. SpaceX team has completed multiple sub-orbital flight tests of Starship’s upper stage from Starbase, successfully demonstrating an unprecedented approach to controlled flight. The company in a statement said that " These flight tests helped validate the vehicle’s design, proving Starship can fly through the subsonic phase of entry before re-lighting its engines and flipping itself to a vertical configuration for landing."The spacecraft will be powered by a reusable Super Heavy rocket and, together, it will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit. The Super Heavy booster will attempt a landing in Texas near its launch site. SpaceX says Starship will be a fully reusable transportation system to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.SpaceX, which has been known for developing reusable rockets, has also constructed the world’s tallest rocket launch and catch tower. Nearly 500 feet tall, the launch and catch tower is designed to support vehicle integration, launch, and catch of the Super Heavy rocket booster.

[msbarrows]

Well, colour me vastly disappointed. Completed my living egg quest tonight. Was looking forward to probably killing an hour or three cycling through living ship spawns until I got one I liked.

One problem.

The new autosave feature overwrote my manual save as soon as I stepped out of my ship at the first crash site (it filled both save channels with a new save). So I couldn’t roll back to the point at which I’d made the manual save, so I couldn’t cycle through spawns. Tried a few things that I hoped would give me a new option - flying to a base to teleport elsewhere and come back, teleporting to a base in a different galaxy to see if I could do a hold-the-middle-mouse-button-to-restart-quest-locally, but none of them did anything to change it.

So I’m stuck with this living ship, whose colours and shape I dislike.

Huh... or am I? I can probably copy over the seed value or whatever from one of my previous saves, using the handy dandy save editor I have on hand.

Edited to insert: YUP, that worked! Since the seed I copied over was from my “Audrey II” living ship a couple saves back, I’ve renamed this one the Audrey III:

In only tangentially related news, a couple days ago I got tired of the placeholder solar starship I was using, and since I already had decent money saved up, went out and hunted down a small footprint hauler to replace it with. This will of course become my construction supplies storage once I have its inventory fully unlocked:

Need to think up a decent name for it. I am still disappointed that I had to say good-bye to Barb deBuilder (and all the other ships I had collected on my previous save).

Stupid building item limit :(

[avaantares]

Major props to the cast of Starship Improvise, who, after the theatre was evacuated for a fire alarm, finished the performance in the entrance to a construction site!