Current T0 is 19:23:41 ET (launched on time)
Everyday astronaut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMD-Wo8jz90
Nasaspaceflight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bcpnn_PO-A
The US is the only country to ever have a super heavy lift capability (Saturn V) and currently the Falcon Heavy is the most capable operating rocket.
The Starship is the first ever vehicle to be designed for full and rapid reusability, and on top of that, is super heavy lift class at about 1.5 times the tonnage to LEO as the Saturn V.
The USSR is the only other country to ever come close, first with the N1 with similar capability to the Saturn V; it however flew 4 times all ending in failure and was discontinued when USA succeeded in the moon landings. In the 1980s, the USSR again developed a heavy lift booster, the Energia, which flew once with the Buran spaceplane. The USSR collapsed weeks later.
The space shuttle had a capability that no other space launch system has had in the past - it could go and pluck an object from orbit and land it safely on earth. Theoretically, it could have done that on any of its 135 missions.
Starship will be the next vehicle capable of returning objects from orbit.
After all of the exposure of a propulsion system that quite literally defies gravity (or perhaps manipulates inertia?), I'm not sure what SpaceX is. Is it a misdirection? Is it a part of declass (on multiple possible levels)? If SpaceX gives us a tool to go "out there," will we find some (intentional) surprises?
There are so many questions and possibilities, but what I think is most interesting, is that Musk isn't an idiot. The amount of evidence of alternative propulsion is massive, yet he's not addressing it at all. He ignores it as if it's irrelevant, even saying he has "the highest level of security clearance and there's nothing to see there;" as some sort of gaslighting program. Why is he spending billions of dollars in this program if there's a good chance that it will be redundant with a little more declass?
I am extremely suspicious of this program.
Having said that, prior to a couple years ago, I thought this program was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am still intrigued, and am watching the countdown (about 20mins) as I type this.
Whatever it is, we are watching a Show, and the SpaceX program is undoubtedly a part of it.
Great points and things I ponder as well.
If there is exotic technology known to Musk and Trump, then this has to be part of the reveal.
These space programs rake in a ton of money.
Well yes. Musk has this pyramid scheme going. Falcon 1 demo funded Falcon 9, which funded Falcon Heavy and Starlink, which funds Starship development. Starlink is the cash cow. Its netting something like 7 billion a year in revenue. SpaceX has basically become a sat Internet provider with a side hustle of launching Nasa and other commercial payloads. 75% of their launches are for Starlink.
Save yourself the suspense and find a great science fiction tv series or movie.
Better CGI, better graphics and realism.
I don't know how many times I've watched Star Gate. Star Trek is up there as well.
I'm watching Stargate SG1 for the 6th(?) time, currently almost done with the 4th season.
I'm pretty sure it's not "theatre" in the way you mean. I'm also pretty sure it IS theatre in the way that many of the people involved at the top are actors following a script, and their pyrotechnics are top notch.
That first Star Gate movie reined supreme also that first series was really good.
The Stargate series was, as far as I can tell, almost certainly declass. The number of things that can be shown or reasonably suspected true are unreal. To the point it may be that all of the major plot points may be true (with some poetic license).
I know, who can make that stuff up? One of my favorite scenes is when Daniel breaks the seventh symbol. The great Kurt Russell is in that movie.
Personally I think that ancient technology is down here buried and guarded.
Just like that YouTube channel My Lunch Break, delves into some of these mysteries.
I also have a hunch that the planet is more vast with terrain than we could imagine.
Remember those older movies where a hidden land or Island is found with all kinds different creatures?
Where'd they come up with that?