maxjam

Well there are about 20k highly qualified Americans desperate for the opportunity.
https://www.nasa.gov/general/astronaut-requirements/
I'd guess the ESA and SpaceX have similar requirements.
For me it boils down to exploration, discovery and human advancement.  Why else did people sail over the horizon all those years ago?

Well there are about 20k highly qualified Americans desperate for the opportunity.
https://www.nasa.gov/general/astronaut-requirements/
I'd guess the ESA and SpaceX have similar requirements.
For me it boils down to exploration, discovery and human advancement.  Why else did people sail over the horizon all those years ago?

Yes you're right. To look at the costs, over the last decade two massive rockets have made it to the launchpad. One is the US Government's Space Launch System or SLS. The idea was this would be cheap because it would reuse Space Shuttle engines. It's basically an updated Saturn V, yet the development costs have so far been $50 billion, and to build and launch a single rocket to send 4 humans into space, will cost at least $4 billion every single launch, after which the bits of the rocket crash into the sea. Boeing can only build about one a year.
By contrast, Starship is designed to be the first entirely reusable rocket, also with a massive payload capacity. SpaceX has entirely privately funded its development, to the tune of around $10 billion so far. However, the actual construction costs of a Starship will only be about $5 million, and because it's completely reusable, the main launch costs are just the fuel which is about $50,000. So, already you can see it will be thousands of times cheaper. But there's more. It's lift capacity is far greater than SLS, in terms of cargo and/or humans. Instead of SLS's 4 astronauts, Starship has been designed to take 100 people at a time into space. So the cost per person is massively less. The site in Texas where they're being built is hoped to eventually roll out one Starship every week, building up a fleet of ships. Then, when the Mars launch window opens (every 26 months it's the optimal time), all these can fly to Mars together. And the ships can fly back from Mars to help bring the next batch of settlers in the next window.
However, as you say, who would want to fly such a thing when we've seen it blow up? There will not be tens, but rather hundreds/thousands of uncrewed flight tests before it's considered safe for Humans to be on board. But how could SpaceX afford so many test flights? That's the genius of the Starlink program. Instead of launching empty test vehicles, SpaceX will fill them with its Starlink satellites to create (and be able to charge for) internet access across the world, including for the 3 billion Humans currently unconnected. The revenues help fund the Starship program (as well as satellite launches on SpaceX's other smaller rockets). Also, once Humans are on Mars, the Starlink technology will give them internet access anywhere on the red planet. It's a brilliantly integrated plan.

Witnessing a launch in person is on my bucket list.
 

Fabulous test. First time around, as well as the pad disintegrating, many of the Raptor engines on the SuperHeavy booster failed, both elements combining to mean the trajectory was far from "nominal". And then the two parts failed to separate.
This time the pad remained intact, all 33 booster Raptors fired magnificently for the entire duration, and then the two ships separated.
A shame the SuperHeavy booster experienced its rapid unscheduled disassembly soon after, but it was beautiful to see the Starship fly off into the sunrise, and on into space. Its own Raptor engines (3 sea level in the centre and 3 vacuum around the outside) burned for a further 6 minutes, propelling it to 20,000 kmh and a height of 150km (when the official boundary of space is 100km). What a result!
So they don't put anyone at risk, both vehicles are armed with explosives so they can be blown up in case anything goes wrong (the flight termination system or FTS). It seems that just before Starship's engines shut down to allow it to coast to over Hawaii before reentry, something triggered the FTS. Oh well. But the key objectives of this flight test were achieved and the great thing is, with the launchpad fine and licences in place, they have lots more test rockets already built and nearly ready to go. I'd expect test flight 3 in a couple of months and the cadence to really start ratcheting up.
You have to love Twitter's AI, Grok, which has given a hilarious summary in almost real-time (another powerful technology):
 

Exciting stuff, everything seemed to go well 🙂
 
 

Its pretty pointless trying to offer any sort of defence anymore because the goalposts are just constantly moving.
We've gone from...
We are a big team, we shouldn't be losing to......
to
Ok we are winning but we should be having more possession
to
Ok we are winning but he should be playing Sibley more
to
Ok he has given Sibley a run but he should be playing the academy players
Its clear that whatever happens from here on in, that some posters have made their mind up on Warne and will use absolutely anything to criticise him.

A schoolboy error as I was thinking of the wrong timezones. If any of you are setting your alerts for this (and you should - it will be amazing) the window is open for 20 minutes from 1pm tomorrow. Here's a picture from today, showing the view of the launch site at that time in the morning. It should be beautiful and spectacular.
 

Live views of Grindavík and earthquake monitor on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=804nPrAUAxg

Desperately sad news, 38 is no age 😞
His unwavering positivity re. The Rams will be missed and maybe something we could all learn from when things aren't going our way.
Condolences to his friends and family.  Once a Ram always a Ram.

Desperately sad news, 38 is no age 😞
His unwavering positivity re. The Rams will be missed and maybe something we could all learn from when things aren't going our way.
Condolences to his friends and family.  Once a Ram always a Ram.

Desperately sad news, 38 is no age 😞
His unwavering positivity re. The Rams will be missed and maybe something we could all learn from when things aren't going our way.
Condolences to his friends and family.  Once a Ram always a Ram.

Desperately sad news, 38 is no age 😞
His unwavering positivity re. The Rams will be missed and maybe something we could all learn from when things aren't going our way.
Condolences to his friends and family.  Once a Ram always a Ram.

Desperately sad news, 38 is no age 😞
His unwavering positivity re. The Rams will be missed and maybe something we could all learn from when things aren't going our way.
Condolences to his friends and family.  Once a Ram always a Ram.

Desperately sad news, 38 is no age 😞
His unwavering positivity re. The Rams will be missed and maybe something we could all learn from when things aren't going our way.
Condolences to his friends and family.  Once a Ram always a Ram.

I have some very sad news this evening.  Daniel (B4) died earlier this week. He was just 38.
As you know, he has been battling numerous health conditions for a long time, but always remained cheerful  and was the most loyal supporter of his beloved Rams, home and away.
He was at the match at Crewe and gave his full support as always. 
Daniel leaves behind a grieving dad, mum and sister. Our thoughts go out to them and we only hope they get a little comfort from knowing how well loved Daniel is by all who know him. 
Here are a couple of photos that his dad agreed could be shared. I'm sure many of you have others, as Daniel loved a selfie at the game.
David is hoping to arrange a more fitting tribute in time, but for now please raise a glass in his memory and a good Derby win today. I am sure that's what Daniel would have been doing tonight.
 

Right forum , can we get on it and help find Eddie s missing denture s, if they have been taken for a joke ,we’ll it’s not funny🤷🏻‍♂️

To be fair I do similar after I lose a match on Football Manager.
 

To be fair I do similar after I lose a match on Football Manager.