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SpaceX and Air Force make peace, more rocket launches now up for grabs
SpaceX and the US Air Force have reached an agreement regarding a lawsuit filed by the former, but really, it's more of a victory for Elon Musk's company. What lawsuit, you ask? It's the one the commercial space company filed against the Air Force for not giving it a chance to bid for rocket launches meant for the military's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Musk even accused an Air Force official of being bribed with a vice presidential position that led to awarding United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, a sole contract. Now, the Pentagon has agreed to improve "the competitive landscape" for "national security space launches," which is good news not only for SpaceX, but also for its rivals.
Daily Roundup: Windows 10, weak passwords, SpaceX and more!
Microsoft will unveil Windows 10 to the masses tomorrow, giving us a closer look at what the folks in Redmond have been working on. Meanwhile, everyone on the internet is still using weak passwords like "123456" and Google decided to drop some serious money on SpaceX. Get all the details on these stories and more in today's daily roundup.
SpaceX is a $10 billion company thanks to Google
The rumors are true: SpaceX has just secured a billion dollars' worth of funding from two new investors, Google and Fidelity. As a result, both Google and Fidelity own about 10 percent of the company and SpaceX itself is now worth approximately $10 billion. The reason behind the investment? Well, beyond just funding Elon Musk's private spaceflight missions, Google would also be investing in SpaceX's latest endeavor: internet satellites. The satellites are said to be small, low-cost and plentiful enough (Musk wants to deploy a total of 700) to offer affordable and fiber-like fast internet to everyone on Earth and even Mars. Of course, Google is itself interested in making the internet accessible to remote parts of the globe -- hey, the more people using Google, the better -- so the investment should bring good things for both companies.
Google and SpaceX are talking about internet satellites (update)
We don't normally cover the dry world of start-up funding, but this story looks as if it's worth breaking a rule for. According to a report over at The Information, Google is about to write SpaceX, Elon Musk's private spaceflight company, a big check the next time the latter company requests some cash. It's still early days, but anonymous sources that are familiar with the matter believe that the quantity of cash that'll change hands is "very large." Update (1/20/15): And it's done! Google is part of a billon-dollar investment round in SpaceX that values the company at $10 billion.
Recommended Reading: A closer look at the 2015 Oscar nominations
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Breaking Down the Oscar Nominations: What the Hell Happened to 'Selma'? by Mark Harris Unless you took a week off from the internet, you're well aware that this year's Oscar nominations were announced a few days ago. While Selma did earn nominations for Best Picture and Best Song, the film that depicts Martin Luther King Jr.'s marches from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery in 1965 was mentioned only twice. Grantland's Mark Harris takes a closer look at the full list to see what other categories should've included Ava DuVernay's picture.
Elon Musk spills details on SpaceX's $10 billion space internet venture
Elon Musk doesn't only plan to bring the whole world online using a fleet of low-cost communication satellites, he also wants to use the same infrastructure to provide internet on Mars. Months after confirming the new SpaceX project, Musk has finally told Bloomberg, that he plans to send hundreds of satellites to orbit the planet 750 miles above the ground. That's much farther than the ISS, which maintains an altitude of around 268 miles, but closer than the farthest medium-earth orbit communication satellites at 22,300 miles. Their closer proximity to users means speedier internet as signals have lesser distance to travel, so the system could (potentially, anyway) rival optic fiber.
SpaceX's rocket landing test was a big success, despite the fiery explosion (update: video)
Elon Musk has just tweeted the first photos of the Falcon 9's "close but no cigar" hard barge landing to fellow rocket enthusiast and Oculus VR evangelist John Carmack. After saying the frames were "kinda begging to be released," he tweeted out four of them, amusingly recounting the progress of the doomed 14-story-tall ship. The problems started when the rocket section's fins "lost power and (went) hardover," which the engine couldn't counter, resulting in a 45 degree angle crash into the deck. All hell broke loose after that, as "residual fuel and oxygen combine(d)," followed by a "Full RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) event," aka a fiery explosion. Update: SpaceX has provided us with a Vine showing the entire crash landing, which shows how fast it went from "looking good" to "oh crap." We promise it does not disappoint -- check it out below.
Hyperloop test track likely bound for Texas
Tesla CEO and SpaceX CTO Elon Musk took to Twitter this afternoon to provide a bit more info on his Hyperloop project. According to the tweet, the 700-MPH transit system will get a test track where both companies and student teams can visit to test pod designs. What's more, he says Texas will be the likely home for it. SpaceX announced in August that its new rocket facility would be built in Brownsville, and The Lone Star State was a consideration for Tesla's Gigafactory, so it's clear Musk and Co. fancy the area. There's also the possibility of an annual student competition, similar to the Formula SAE Series. Let's be honest: who wouldn't want to see some super high-speed pod racing?
SpaceX lands its rocket on a barge, but a reusable Falcon 9's still far off
"Close, but no cigar." That was how SpaceX founder Elon Musk described his company's first attempt at landing the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage on a barge in the middle of the ocean. To be clear, it wasn't a complete disaster: the first stage didn't disintegrate or crash into the water, but it did land too hard on the platform and (according to some reports) broke when it hit the ground. As to what exactly went wrong, Musk revealed on Twitter that the grid fins, which steered the structure onto the platform and stabilized it in the air, ran out of hydraulic fluid right as the stage was touching down. He said the flight next month is already loaded with 50 percent more hydraulic fluid, so the second landing attempt could achieve a result closer to what SpaceX wants.
Watch SpaceX launch its Falcon 9 rocket and try to land it on a barge (updated)
Very soon at around 6:20 4:47 AM EST today SpaceX will launch one its mighty Falcon 9 rockets carrying a Dragon capsule, weather permitting. "Big deal!" you may well say. "What's another rocket launch?" We're sure you're not that jaded (they're all amazing) but this one is pretty special. After the Dragon is up and away doing its thing (carrying ISS cargo, to be exact), the 14-story tall first stage will attempt to make a precision landing on an ocean platform only 300x100 feet in size. Though the Falcon 9 has touched down on the ocean before, this is the first precision barge landing it'll make. Even the normally brash Musk said "the odds of success are not great -- perhaps 50 percent at best." That makes things extra exciting, so grab your popcorn and check the video below. Update: the Falcon 9 launch and recovery has been aborted, apparently due to some kind of issue with the second stage. The next launch window could be as early as this Friday. Update (01/10/15) by Mariella Moon: SpaceX is on track to launch the Falcon 9 rocket in a few minutes and then land the first stage on a barge when it makes its way back down. If all goes well, Elon Musk will finally be able to party at Cocoa Beach today. Update (01/10/15) by Mariella Moon: The launch was a success! Well, sort of. Dragon 9's first stage landed too hard on the barge, but Elon Musk says it "bodes well for the future."
SpaceX has to wait until mid-2015 to bid on Air Force rocket launches
By mid-2015, SpaceX might finally be able to compete for some of the 36 or so rocket launches the US Air Force is planning, according to The Wall Street Journal. If you recall, the Elon Musk-helmed company sued the Air Force last year, after the military branch awarded a nearly exclusive contract worth $11 billion to United Launch Alliance. ULA, which Musk criticized for using Russian engines from the 90's on its rockets, is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The SpaceX founder then publicly pinpointed bribery as the reason why his company wasn't even given the right or the chance to bid on the contract: "V[ery] likely AF official [Roger] Correll was told by ULA/Rocketdyne that a rich VP job was his if he gave them a sole source contract," he wrote on Twitter. He also revealed that Correll tried to take a job at SpaceX, but the company declined.
SpaceX is going to land a rocket on a 'spaceport' barge
SpaceX's next test flight hopes to land one of its Falcon 9 rockets on a platform -- in one piece. The company puts the odds of success at around 50 percent "at best" but it's apparently a major step towards reusable space rockets - and cheaper trips to space. While it's already been able to demo two soft water landings, on a solid surface (and one that's not tethered to anything), things get trickier. The rocket will be coming in at a speed of around 1,300 meters per second, making stabilization, well, tricky. "Stabilizing the Falcon 9 first stage for reentry is like trying to balance a rubber broomstick on your hand in the middle of a wind storm."
The Big Picture: A Dragon heads to the International Space Station
The last time SpaceX's Dragon visited the International Space Station, they brought along some nifty presents that included the first zero-g 3D printer. SpaceX captured this photo of Dragon lifting off from Cape Canaveral in September on its fourth commercial resupply mission to the orbital outpost. The company is planning another launch on Friday. What does Elon Musk have up his sleeve this time? They'll attempt to land a Falcon 9 rocket booster on an "autonomous spaceport drone ship" (i.e., a barge). Will this crazy idea work? Musk estimates a 50–50 chance of success. Tune in on Friday to find out how it goes. [Image credit: SpaceX]
SpaceX's reusable rockets get help from 'X-wing' fins and drone ships
SpaceX's reusable rockets already have a few tricks up their metal sleeves, but it looks like they're getting at least a couple more. Elon Musk has revealed that his company is testing new technologies that will assist future Falcon 9 launches, including "X-wing style" control fins and a drone ship. The fins deploy on reentry and give the rocket better maneuvering than it would have through engine power alone. The robot boat, meanwhile, amounts to an "autonomous spaceport" -- it uses thrusters from oil rigs to provide a safe, stable landing pad (and eventually, refueling station) in situations where a ground facility isn't an option. Musk hasn't said when this vessel will go into use, but you can expect to see the Falcon 9's new controls in action on its next flight.
Elon Musk confirms satellite plans, announcement '2 - 3 months away'
This weekend the Wall Street Journal published rumors linking everyman billionaire Elon Musk to an internet-via-satellite project and tonight he addressed those rumors. In a tweet Musk said his company SpaceX is "in the early stages of developing advanced micro-satellites operating in large formations." We'll have to wait for more details though, as he said an announcement is a couple of months away. The rumors suggest Musk is working with Greg Wyler, formerly of Google / O3b Networks, to launch a total of 700 satellites. The difference between their satellites and others in use would be the size of the fleet -- 10x the size of the largest currently in orbit -- and the size of the satellites, which would be much smaller than those currently used for communications. If it all comes together, expect to see states bidding (again) for the right to build Musk's next big thing, and takes on competition from Google (with satellites and balloons) and Facebook (drones) to extend the internet's reach from above. Update: In follow up tweets, Musk said the drones could provide "unfettered" internet, at very low cost, and that several points in the initial WSJ report were wrong. [Photo credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]
WSJ: Elon Musk wants to bring the whole world online with affordable satellites
Small, low-cost internet satellites that provide affordable internet to everyone on the planet. These are what Elon Musk wants to create next after working on reusable rockets, space capsules and electric cars since the early 2000's, according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication says Musk is in the early stages of collaborating with Greg Wyler, who founded O3b Networks and led Google's internet satellite venture until earlier this year. The duo (with Wyler now representing WorldVu, a company he also founded recently) apparently plans to launch a total of 700 internet satellites into space. They want each of those satellites to cost less than $1 million to build and to weigh less than 250 pounds -- a huge undertaking, seeing as the smallest models these days cost several millions and weigh at least 500 pounds.
FBI shuts down black market website Silk Road, arrests its owner (again)
Just over a year after the feds shut down the original Silk Road, an online marketplace that offered anonymous drug and gun sales, they've apparently done the same to its successor. The FBI shut down Silk Road 2.0 and arrested its alleged founder, Blake Benthall, in San Francisco. Benthall is charged with crimes including conspiring to commit narcotics trafficking, computer hacking, trafficking in fake IDs, and money laundering. The FBI believes that the site was launched by a co-conspirator of "Dread Pirate Roberts" who founded the original website, but that Benthall took over control in late December of last year. Business Insider points out a Facebook page for Benthall listing him as a software engineer at SpaceX, while a Twitter profile is tagged "rocket scientist, Bitcoin dreamer." Like the original site, Silk Road 2.0 used Tor to hide its origins and operators, but the FBI says an undercover agent infiltrated the site's support staff and was able to communicate with Benthall directly that way. Update: SpaceX confirmed that a Blake Benthall did work for the company, but he is no longer with the firm. Update 2: The takedown was a part of Operation Onymous, which has knocked out a number of other darknet marketplaces and their alleged operators.
NASA records Falcon 9 rocket's descent as research for Mars landings
NASA wants to refine the ability of future spacecraft to land on Mars, since they'll have to ferry humans and other large payloads to the red planet. To that end, the agency has teamed up with SpaceX to record thermal camera footage of the Falcon 9 rocket as its first stage detaches and burns through the atmosphere. The first stage of a rocket is typically its largest part and what's ignited at launch -- once it runs out of propellant, it separates from the upper stages, usually as the rocket nears the boundary between our planet and outer space. Its descent back to Earth presents Mars-like conditions, which means data collected from the footage could, in NASA's words "provide critical engineering information for future missions to the surface of Mars."
Watch Jony Ive and Elon Musk talk design and sci-fi transportation
Tired of hearing little more than soundbites from tech luminaries such as Apple's Jony Ive and Tesla's Elon Musk? Today's your lucky day. Vanity Fair has posted its full video interviews with both Ive and Musk, giving you an insight into how the two executives work. Not surprisingly, Ive's chat focuses on his design philosophies and processes, including what he thinks of Xiaomi's eerily familiar-looking products (spoiler: he doesn't see them as "flattery"). Musk, meanwhile, drops both hints about Tesla's semi-automated Model S P85D and discusses the motivations behind the science fiction-inspired transport from SpaceX and Tesla, including why it's important for humanity to go to Mars. The two discussions are lengthy at about half an hour each, but they're definitely worthwhile if you want to see what makes key industry figures tick. [Image credit: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Vanity Fair]
Work on NASA's space taxis delayed after protests over contract allocation
Waiting for a space taxi? It looks like it might show up a little late. Of course, it's only NASA astronauts currently in line for one of the agency's recently commissioned spacecraft, but both companies involved -- Boeing and SpaceX -- will have to down-tools after the third company in the mix (and the only one to not get commissioned) protests the awarded contracts. While Boeing scooped the lion's share ($4.2 billion), SpaceX also picked up $2.6 billion in funding to develop craft that will shuttle astronauts to the ISS. Currently NASA relies on Russian ships for this expensive service. Sierra Nevada claims it could do the same work as Boeing, but for a full $900 million less. The disgruntled firm also claims NASA's own debrief on the selection contains inconsistencies and raises "serious questions." NASA has 30 days to respond to the allegations. With current seats on Russian craft running a cool $70 million a time, that certainly puts the cost of a cab stuck in traffic firmly in perspective.
