<h2>Falcon Heavy Landing</h2>
<p>The booster for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy successfully landed after a mission — but then stormy weather toppled the booster into the roiling ocean.</p>
<p>Other than that minor hiccup, the mission was a success, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/16/tech/spacex-falcon-heavy-center-booster/index.html">according to <em>CNN</em></a>. The Falcon Heavy launched on Thursday and carried a satellite for a Saudi Arabian TV network into space, and afterward all three <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-lands-three-falcon-heavy-boosters">boosters landed successfully</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;As conditions worsened with eight to ten foot swells, the booster began to shift and ultimately was unable to remain upright,&#8221; SpaceX told the network. &#8220;While we had hoped to bring the booster back intact, the safety of our team always takes precedence. We do not expect future missions to be impacted.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Reuse, Recycle</h2>
<p>Elon Musk is, <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1118017021612937216">per his Twitter</a>, investigating whether the damaged booster can be recovered.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Engines seem ok, pending inspection</p>
<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1118017021612937216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Typically, SpaceX reuses boosters from mission to mission to cut down on manufacturing costs — so the company is particularly incentivized to get this one back up and running too.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/16/tech/spacex-falcon-heavy-center-booster/index.html">SpaceX landed its three Falcon Heavy boosters without flaw. Then a stormy sea knocked one of them down</a> [<em>CNN</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on SpaceX:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-lands-three-falcon-heavy-boosters">SpaceX Milestone: Company Lands Three Falcon Heavy Boosters</a></em></p>


SpaceX landed a Falcon Heavy booster. Then it fell into the sea.

Rough Waters

SpaceX successfully landed three Falcon Heavy boosters last week. But stormy weather had a different plan for them, and one fell into the water.

SpaceX Landed a Falcon Heavy Booster. Then It Fell Into the Sea.

Otherwise, everything went just fine.

<h2>Dragon Wings</h2>
<p>Sometimes, it&#8217;s easy to tell if space travel visionary and meme reviewer Elon Musk is joking on Twitter. Other times, not so much.</p>
<p>Just before the return of HBO&#8217;s mega-hit &#8220;Game of Thrones,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117563679099240449">Musk tweeted</a> that he was &#8220;thinking about adding giant stainless steel dragon wings to Starship&#8221; that could allow his eventually-Mars-bound spacecraft to keep cool during re-entry. &#8220;Starship will land on a ring of fire,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117571159195668480">added later</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">With steel membrane wings like a Dragon, we may be able to lower Starship’s orbital reentry temp to ~1000 degrees C, which would allow the whole surface to be uncooled bare metal</p>
<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117581094415503360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Winter is Coming</h2>
<p>When asked how serious he was on a scale of one to ten, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1117565769829818368">gave the plan a 6.5</a>. And, to be fair, we&#8217;ve thought Musk was joking about plenty of things before — leading to his fair share of successes.</p>
<p>He put together a company devoted to digging tunnels called The Boring Company, for instance — and even marketed a <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-flamethrowers-dumb">novelty flamethrower</a>.</p>
<h2>Shoot for the Moon</h2>
<p>Besides, SpaceX&#8217;s Starship is just as much of a moonshot as Musk&#8217;s other endeavors: a spacecraft that&#8217;s meant to shift the paradigm interplanetary travel, eventually offering up to 100 passengers a trip to the Moon or even Mars. From red-hot, futuristic <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-spacex-starship-hex-tiles">&#8220;heatshield hex tiles&#8221;</a> to a shiny retro-looking <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-image-elon-musk-spacex">stainless steel dome</a>, Starship is already looking like something straight out of science fiction.</p>
<p>So why not throw some high fantasy legendary creature wings on top of the pile?</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/54899-game-of-thrones-elon-musk-proposes-dragon-wings-for-spacex-starship">&#8216;Game of Thrones&#8217;: Elon Musk Proposes Dragon Wings for SpaceX Starship</a> [<em>Inverse</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on Starship: </strong><em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tests-starship-hopper-engine">SpaceX&#8217;s Starship Hopper Completes First Tethered “Hop”</a></em></p>


To be fair, we've thought Musk was joking about plenty of things before — leading to his fair share of successes.

Elon Musk suggests adding "dragon wings" to Starship

Dragon Wings

Musk tweeted that he was "thinking about adding giant stainless steel dragon wings to Starship" that could allow it to keep cool during re-entry.

Elon Musk Suggests Adding “Dragon Wings” to Starship

Was it a "Game of Thrones" joke? We're not entirely sure.

<h2>Space Besties</h2>
<p>NASA has a plan to defend Earth from an incoming asteroid — and it&#8217;s now tapped SpaceX to help carry it out.</p>
<p>On Friday, NASA <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-launch-services-contract-for-asteroid-redirect-test-mission-300831286.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it had selected Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX to provide launch services for its $69 million <a href="https://futurism.com/planetary-defense-nasa-asteroid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)</a> mission — adding to the <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ever-growing list</a> of collaborations between the two entities.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNSYuY6N1Rs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Collision Course</h2>
<p>NASA&#8217;s DART mission will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in California in June 2021. The goal is to smash a satellite into the Didymos asteroid&#8217;s small moon in <span class="xn-chron">October 2022</span>.</p>
<p>If all goes according to plan, the collision will change the asteroid&#8217;s motion, and NASA will be able to use what it learns from the mission to redirect a future asteroid on track to impact Earth, saving humanity from potential extinction à la the dinosaurs.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/12/spacex-nasa-mission-redirect-asteroid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX will assist NASA&#8217;s first-ever mission to redirect an asteroid</a> [<em>Engadget</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on NASA&#8217;s DART mission: </strong><em><a href="https://futurism.com/planetary-defense-nasa-asteroid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA Scientist: Asteroid Deflection Mission Not Like &#8220;Armageddon&#8221;</a></em></p>


Add another project to the list of collaborations between NASA and SpaceX.

NASA asks SpaceX to help it save Earth from incoming asteroids

DART Ahead

SpaceX will provide launch services for NASA's DART mission, which is designed to test a plan for preventing an asteroid from hitting Earth.

NASA Asks SpaceX to Help It Save Earth From Incoming Asteroids

Elon Musk's space company will provide launch services for DART.

<h2>The Falcons Have Landed</h2>
<p>The second time is apparently the charm for SpaceX.</p>
<p>In February 2018, Elon Musk&#8217;s space company <a href="https://futurism.com/falcon-heavy-launch-whats-next-spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched a Falcon Heavy rocket</a> for the first time, but it wasn&#8217;t able to recover all three of the rocket&#8217;s boosters — rather than landing on SpaceX&#8217;s autonomous drone ship like it was supposed to, the <a href="https://futurism.com/contest-find-the-falcon-heavys-center-core-because-we-cant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">center core</a> splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean. Whoops.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the company attempted its second Falcon Heavy launch, and this time it <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-spacex-mega-rocket-boosters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nailed the landing</a> of all three boosters — marking a new milestone in reusable rocketry.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch SpaceX&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FalconHeavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FalconHeavy</a> rocket lands its center core on a ship for the first time 🚀 <a href="https://t.co/VltoKVaAox">pic.twitter.com/VltoKVaAox</a></p>
<p>&mdash; CNET (@CNET) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNET/status/1116506217239568384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Democratizing Space</h2>
<p>The Falcon Heavy is currently the <a href="https://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most powerful launch vehicle</a> in operation. Because SpaceX designed the rocket to be reusable, it can keep the <a href="https://futurism.com/spacexs-reusable-rockets-could-save-the-company-a-lot-of-money" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost of launches</a> lower than would otherwise be possible — and cheaper launches mean <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-rocket-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more launches</a>, thereby advancing humanity&#8217;s efforts to study, explore, and exploit space.</p>
<p>Now that SpaceX has proven it can successfully recover all three Falcon Heavy boosters, it can start looking ahead to the <a href="https://www.spacex.com/missions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five launches</a> already on the rocket&#8217;s manifest — and the others that will likely follow.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Falcon Heavy’s side boosters land on Landing Zones 1 and 2 <a href="https://t.co/nJCCaVHOeo">pic.twitter.com/nJCCaVHOeo</a></p>
<p>&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1116553298176118784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-spacex-mega-rocket-boosters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX launches mega rocket, lands all three boosters</a> [<em>Phys.org</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on Falcon Heavy: </strong><em><a href="https://futurism.com/falcon-heavy-launch-whats-next-spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Falcon Heavy Launched. Here’s What’s Next for SpaceX.</a></em></p>


The achievement marks a new milestone in reusable rocketry.

SpaceX milestone: Company lands three Falcon Heavy boosters

Heavy Hitter

SpaceX successfully landed all three of its Falcon Heavy boosters during the rocket's second launch ever, marking a new milestone in reusable rocketry.

SpaceX Milestone: Company Lands Three Falcon Heavy Boosters

Elon Musk's company nailed the landing on its second try.

<h2>Hop Along</h2>
<p>SpaceX&#8217;s Starship got one tiny hop closer to launch on Wednesday.</p>
<p>At approximately 8:56 p.m. EDT, Elon Musk&#8217;s space company test fired the engine on its Starship Hopper at its Boca Chica, Texas, facility. The craft was tethered during the approximately one-minute-long test, ensuring that its &#8220;hop&#8221; didn&#8217;t take it too far from the ground.</p>
<p>Soon after, Musk tweeted that the mission was a success.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Starhopper completed tethered hop. All systems green. <a href="https://t.co/0m5Bm5slD2">https://t.co/0m5Bm5slD2</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1113613409767964673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Seeing Stars</h2>
<p>The Starship Hopper — or &#8220;Starhopper,&#8221; in Musk&#8217;s lingo — is a prototype for Starship, an in-development craft SpaceX hopes to use to send people to the <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-moon-base-spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moon</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-round-trip-mars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mars</a>, and even just on <a href="https://futurism.com/space-travel-disrupt-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quick jaunts</a> to the other side of the Earth.</p>
<p>While this Starhopper boasts just one engine, the final Starship is expected to <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/53191-spacex-starship-raptor-engine-breaks-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have 31</a>.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/54596-spacex-just-fired-starship-hopper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX Just Completed Its First Starship Hopper Firing: &#8216;All Systems Green&#8217;</a> [<em>Inverse</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on Starship:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-spacex-test-hoppper-starship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk: SpaceX Hopes to Launch Starship “Test Hopper” This Week</a></em></p>


The prototype is one step closer to real liftoff.

SpaceX's Starship Hopper completes first tethered "hop"

Passed Test

SpaceX's Starship Hopper successfully completed a tethered hop, putting the company's in-development Starship one step closer to liftoff.

SpaceX’s Starship Hopper Completes First Tethered “Hop”

"All systems green," CEO Elon Musk tweeted.

<h2>High Speed Space Travel</h2>
<p>A new report by Swiss investment bank UBS predicts that soon high speed travel through the near reaches of space will <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/ubs-space-travel-and-space-tourism-a-23-billion-business-in-a-decade.html">come to compete</a> with long-haul airline flights.</p>
<p>UBS analysts estimate that space tourism alone will become a $3 billion market by 2030, while the space industry as a whole will double in worth from $400 billion today to $805 billion over the same period. And once we can spend a week of vacation in space, they ask, why not use the technology for Earth-bound long-distance travel?</p>
<p>&#8220;Space tourism could be the stepping stone for the development of long-haul travel on earth serviced by space,&#8221; wrote UBS analysts Jarrod Castle and Myles Walton in the report, as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/ubs-space-travel-and-space-tourism-a-23-billion-business-in-a-decade.html">quoted by <em>CNBC</em></a>.</p>
<h2>Plane Simple</h2>
<p>As more and more people are choosing to travel long distances, the analysts estimate that the market for space travel will grow as well. Reusable space rockets and their speed could increase the total volume of passengers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Given the length of long-haul commercial travel, and the rules around crewing and take-off and landing time slot restrictions at airports, we think a re-usable rocket (especially if not land-based) would have materially better utilisation rates than a commercial plane,&#8221; UBS said.</p>
<h2>Space Travel Race</h2>
<p>Private space companies like <a href="https://futurism.com/tags/virgin-galactic">Virgin Galactic</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/tags/blue-origin">Blue Origin</a> have been making major strides towards a future in which humans will be able to spend spring break on board a space station.</p>
<p>In May 2018, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-bfr-earth">revealed plans</a> for &#8220;Starship&#8221; rocket that could one day ferry up to 100 passengers practically anywhere in the world in roughly an hour. The company also <a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-crew-dragon-spacecraft-land-atlantic">successfully completed</a> a test flight of its Crew Dragon passenger spacecraft to the International Space Station earlier this year.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong> <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/ubs-space-travel-and-space-tourism-a-23-billion-business-in-a-decade.html">Super fast travel using outer space could be $20 billion market, disrupting airlines, UBS predicts</a> [<em>CNBC</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on space travel:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/nasa-sls-orion-commercial-rocket">NASA Might Send Astronauts Around the Moon on Commercial Rocket</a></em></p>


UBS analysts estimate that space tourism alone will become a $3 billion market by 2030.

Analysts: Rocket jumps between Earth cities could smash airlines

High Speed Space Travel

A new report by UBS predicts that soon high speed travel through the near reaches of space will compete with long-haul airline flights.

Analysts: Rocket Jumps Between Earth Cities Could Smash Airlines

"Space tourism could be the stepping stone for the development of long-haul travel on earth serviced by space."

<h2>Hex Tiles</h2>
<p>In a video posted on Twitter yesterday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk showed off the newest feature of the company&#8217;s much-anticipated Starship spacecraft: &#8220;heatshield hex tiles&#8221; that will keep it cool during re-entry into Earth&#8217;s atmosphere.</p>
<p>In the video, SpaceX engineers heated the hexagonal tiles to a maximum temperature of 1,650 degrees Kelvin (2,500 Fahrenheit.) According to Musk, that&#8217;s &#8220;orbital entry temp,&#8221; meaning it could technically survive the heat generated during re-entry — glowing a malevolent red that reminds you of the incredibly hostile forces of reentry.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Testing Starship heatshield hex tiles <a href="https://t.co/PycE9VthxQ">pic.twitter.com/PycE9VthxQ</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1107378575924035584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Transpiration Cooling</h2>
<p>The tiles will only be cladding the hotter side that enters the atmosphere first — &#8220;no shield needed on leeward [or back] side,&#8221; according to Musk. Any &#8220;hot spots&#8221; will feature a <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1107380559834046465">&#8220;transpiration cooling&#8221;</a> system, which allows the exterior to sweat water or methane to minimize damage and fly again soon after landing.</p>
<p>&#8220;Starship needs to be ready to fly again immediately after landing,&#8221; Musk promised in a <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1107380559834046465">follow-up tweet</a> yesterday. &#8220;Zero refurbishment.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Starship Hopper</h2>
<p>The news comes after pictures posted on social media revealed that SpaceX is planning to conduct <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-spacex-test-hoppper-starship">testing of an early Starship prototype</a> &#8220;hopper&#8221; at its Boca Chica Beach test site in Texas &#8220;as soon as the week of March 18.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">After a day worth of hard work, the workers at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpaceX</a> have finally installed the first raptor on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StarHopper?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StarHopper</a> . Congratulations to Elon musk and all the hard workers at SpaceX. It’s almost time for StarHopper to purr like a kitten🐱🔥🚀. <a href="https://t.co/YIhbNhqJEk">pic.twitter.com/YIhbNhqJEk</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) <a href="https://twitter.com/austinbarnard45/status/1107055224265551872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Back in December, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1077106553189093376">tweeted a picture</a> of Starship&#8217;s stainless steel nose cone, but powerful hurricane-force winds later caused the rocket to break free of its mooring blocks at SpaceX&#8217;s Texas test site, <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-spacex-damaged-hurricane-winds">toppling it over</a>.</p>
<p>Most of the rest of the spacecraft is clad in stainless steel. In a January <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25953663/elon-musk-spacex-bfr-stainless-steel/">interview with <em>Popular Mechanics</em></a>, Musk argued that the stainless steel won&#8217;t become brittle even at extremely low and extremely high temperatures.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/18/spacex-tests-starship-heat-shields/">SpaceX tests heat shields that will stop its Starship from burning up</a><strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong>More on Starship: <em><a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-spacex-test-hoppper-starship">Elon Musk: SpaceX Hopes to Launch Starship “Test Hopper” This Week</a></em></strong></p>


"Starship needs to be ready to fly again immediately after landing."

Elon Musk shows off futuristic Starship heat shield "Hex Tiles"

Hex Tiles

In a video, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk showed off the space company's Starship's "heat shield hex tiles" which could keep its spacecraft cool during re-entry.

Elon Musk Shows Off Glowing Hot “Hex Tile” Starship Heatshield

The tiles will ensure that Starship won't burn up during re-entry.

<h2>Test Hopper</h2>
<p>In a series of tweets yesterday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the space company is about to start testing an early prototype of its <a href="https://futurism.com/tags/starship">Starship spacecraft</a>.</p>
<p>The so-called &#8220;hopper&#8221; test vehicle will feature only a single Raptor engine, as opposed to three for the final version. The test vehicle won&#8217;t enter orbit, but its low altitude test flights help prepare for future journeys as lengthy as a trip to Mars.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Starship Hopper in preparations to hop, &quot;Ooh ah, just a little bit&quot;. </p>
<p>📸<a href="https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BocaChicaGal</a> <a href="https://t.co/fk1cdRpyvm">https://t.co/fk1cdRpyvm</a> <a href="https://t.co/VLW5ADBtgP">pic.twitter.com/VLW5ADBtgP</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Chris B &#8211; NSF (@NASASpaceflight) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1107405932194160640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>This Week?</h2>
<p>Local residents near SpaceX&#8217;s test site in Brownsville, Texas, received a notice in the mail informing them of test flights that could occur &#8220;as soon as the week of March 18, 2019,&#8221; <a href="https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/taking-off-work-accelerates-at-boca-chica-launch-site/article_d02274fa-0ee5-11e9-b262-1b219a40ad51.html">according to local news</a>. Checkpoints will be set up for a &#8220;safety zone&#8221; around the launch site.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hopefully,&#8221; Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1107366178471608321">replied in a tweet</a>, when asked if it was true SpaceX was testing this week. &#8220;Always many issues integrating engine &amp; stage. First hops will lift off, but only barely.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Moving on to Orbital Flights</h2>
<p>SpaceX <a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-raptor-starship-test-fire">successfully tested</a> the Raptor engine in February. With three of them powering the spacecraft, Starship could eventually make its way all the way to the Moon or even Mars — or at least <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-moon-base-spacex">that&#8217;s the hope</a>.</p>
<p>Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1107373237208416256">also tweeted</a> that SpaceX didn&#8217;t bother building &#8220;a new nosecone for Hopper&#8221; after the original <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-spacex-damaged-hurricane-winds">was damaged</a> due to high winds at the Texas test site in January.</p>
<p>&#8220;Don’t need it,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;What you see being built is the orbital Starship vehicle.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://spacenews.com/spacex-preparing-to-begin-starship-hopper-tests/">SpaceX preparing to begin Starship hopper tests</a> [<em>Space News</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on Starship:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-raptor-starship-test-fire">Watch SpaceX Test-Fire the Starship Engine for the First Time</a></em></p>


"What you see being built is the orbital Starship vehicle."

Elon Musk: SpaceX hopes to launch Starship "test hopper" this week

Starship Enterprise

In a series of tweets yesterday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the space company is about to start testing its Starship spacecraft.

Elon Musk: SpaceX Hopes to Launch Starship “Test Hopper” This Week

It's an important first step to eventually blast Starship into Earth's orbit — and beyond.

<h2>Private Ride</h2>
<p>NASA&#8217;s several-billion-dollar Space Launch System (SLS) is on thin ice. The culprit: the enticingly low-cost and high-performance rockets of its private industry competitors.</p>
<p>At a <a href="https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/1105859576023445506">Senate hearing today</a>, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine suggested that NASA might use a commercial rocket to boost its Orion crew capsule around the Moon in 2020.</p>
<p>&#8220;We need to consider, as an agency, all options to accomplish that objective,&#8221; Bridenstine said of the first launch of its Orion crew capsule. &#8220;We&#8217;re talking about a rocket that&#8217;s taller than the Statue of Liberty with a fairing that can put really big objects into space — and into deep space.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Delays</h2>
<p>NASA&#8217;s SLS was supposed to use a massive two-stage rocket design to launch astronauts towards the Moon and even Mars. But when that will happen is hard to say.</p>
<p>&#8220;SLS is failing to meet its schedule,&#8221; Bridenstine said during the hearing.</p>
<p>NASA initially signed a contract with Boeing to build those two stages in 2012. The first planned uncrewed test flight was scheduled for December 2017. Next time window: June 2020 — but even that date is likely to change.</p>
<h2>Over Budget</h2>
<p>And that&#8217;s not to mention the fact that the SLS is grossly over budget. Conservative 2017 estimates pegged the cost for each launch <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/12/nasa-is-trying-to-make-the-space-launch-system-rocket-more-affordable/">at $1.5 to $2.5 billion</a>. Estimates for the total authorized budget of the SLS is $46 billion since its conception, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/nasa-nears-50-billion-for-deep-space-plans-yet-human-flights-still-distant/">according to <em>Ars Technica</em></a>.</p>
<p>To put that into perspective: the White House budget proposal for all of NASA&#8217;s operations in 2020 is just <a href="https://spacenews.com/nasa-budget-proposal-targets-sls/">$21 billion</a>.</p>
<p>Ditching the SLS altogether would be a huge admission of failure, but Bridenstine isn&#8217;t about to give up on NASA.</p>
<p>“The Space Launch System, SLS, the largest rocket that’s ever been built in American history, is a critical piece of what the United States of America needs to build,” Bridenstine said during the hearing.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/13/18263796/nasa-space-launch-system-orion-crew-capsule-em-1-commercial-rocket">NASA considers using a commercial rocket for upcoming trip around the Moon</a> [<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/13/18263796/nasa-space-launch-system-orion-crew-capsule-em-1-commercial-rocket"><em>The Verge</em>]</a><strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p>More on the SLS: <a href="https://futurism.com/nasa-sls-falcon-heavy-comparison">How Does NASA’s New Mega-Rocket Compare to the Falcon Heavy?</a></p>


"I think it can be done, sir, in the next couple of weeks, and every moment counts."

NASA wants to send its crew capsule around the Moon using a commercial rocket

Private Ride

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine suggested NASA might use a commercial rocket to boost its Orion crew capsule around the Moon in 2020.

NASA Might Send Astronauts Around the Moon on Commercial Rocket

NASA's Space Launch System has hit significant delays and is way over budget.

<h2>Welcome Home</h2>
<p>Mission Demo-1 is officially complete.</p>
<p>After successfully undocking from the International Space Station in the early morning hours and burning through Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, SpaceX&#8217;s passenger spacecraft slowly descended back down to Earth, before safely splashing down into the Atlantic Ocean — and right on schedule at 8:45 am EST.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a>’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrewDragon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CrewDragon</a> returned to Earth with a splash in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s eastern shore at 8:45am ET, completing an end-to-end flight test to the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> and back as part of our <a href="https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Commercial_Crew</a> Program. Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/MFB7dVb60c">https://t.co/MFB7dVb60c</a> <a href="https://t.co/8lFL6X3Tue">pic.twitter.com/8lFL6X3Tue</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1104016648959221760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>The Descent</h2>
<p>Crew Dragon&#8217;s descent was slowed thanks to four large parachutes it deployed once it re-entered Earth&#8217;s atmosphere.</p>
<p>Astronauts loaded roughly 300 pounds (136 kg) of cargo from the ISS into the spacecraft on Thursday to send back down to Earth.</p>
<p>SpaceX <a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-crew-dragon-launch-demo-1">successfully launched</a> the spacecraft on Saturday. It marks the first time a passenger spacecraft launched from American soil to the ISS — and returned safely back down to Earth — since the end of NASA&#8217;s Space Shuttle program in 2011.</p>
<h2>Mission Accomplished</h2>
<p>SpaceX&#8217;s Crew Dragon docked itself, with no robotic arm required, to an open port of the International Space Station early Sunday morning. It then spent five days docked to the station while astronauts checked out the inside of what could one day become their ride back home.</p>
<p>A lot could&#8217;ve gone wrong. The cargo Dragon variant featured a different parachute system and had a differently shaped hull.</p>
<p>&#8220;I see hypersonic re-entry as probably my greatest concern,&#8221; SpaceX CEO Elon Musk <a href="https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-earth-return-challenging.html">said</a> during a post-launch press event on Saturday.</p>
<p>In July, SpaceX is hoping to send the Crew Dragon capsule back into space — but this time <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-03/spacex-notches-next-step-in-race-with-boeing-to-crewed-flights">with NASA astronauts</a> Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong></p>
<p><strong>More on Crew Dragon: </strong><a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-roscosmos-space-program-null-void"><em>Expert: SpaceX Just Made Russia’s Space Program “Null and Void”</em></a><strong><br />
</strong></p>


Previous cargo missions of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific — not the Atlantic.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft splashes down in the Atlantic

Crew Dragon Landing

After successfully undocking from the ISS, SpaceX's Crew Dragon splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean at 8:45 am EST.

/Spacex