Norman

I'd guess somewhere between 500-1000 for test pilots. It has been designed to, ultimately, launch several times a day, so these numbers are not unreasonable. SpaceX plans to transition all its launches to Starship because it's so cheap and has hundreds of times more capacity per launch. This year SpaceX will have about 90 launches of its Falcon9 and plans to ratchet up next year.
But, an interesting element of your question is that Starship (the upper stage) is the Moon-landing system for America to go back to the Moon, officially in 2025 but it will be 2026 or 2027. For that mission, astronauts have to launch in the Orion capsule atop the $4bn Space Launch System (but which has an astronaut escape system if something goes wrong in the launch) and then, once orbiting the Moon, they will dock with Starship which will taken them down to the lunar surface. Then Starship will launch off the Moon, dock with the Orion capsule that will then take the astronauts back to Earth. So Humans will fly in it relatively soon, but they won't launch it it. Once it's proven safe, astronauts will simply fly straight to the Moon in it (refuelling in Earth orbit), cutting the cost of the flight by a factor of about a thousand.

Good, I'm happy for you 😛 

I don’t mean to show off but… ✅ 

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.

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?

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):
 

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.
 

And a lovely person has superimposed some of my narration over a cool video of Starship flying to Mars:
 

The second Integrated Flight Test has been delayed for months (and with it Humanity's future among the stars) because America's Fish and Wildlife Service wanted precise odds of Starship hitting a sperm whale when it ditches in the ocean. Bureaucracy (or Biden's anti-Musk agenda) out of control. Happily it seems they've not found any other reasons to try to delay the launch, so it looks as if excitement is guaranteed for Friday. Here's a SpaceX video to prepare for the event.

A stranger we had yet to meet.
Our paths had never crossed.
And yet, it seems, we knew him well,
A dear friend we have lost.
A heart of gold, a Kindly soul,
A friendly word to each.
A clumsy gaff may oft appear,
But ne’er offence be reached.
A call to arms, a plea for fight,
A positive embrace.
Defiant stance, a pumping fist,
A smile on his face.
Hatred of pink, and all things red,
More strangers for him to meet.
“A sea of black and white” he’d call,
“Let’s all stand at our seat”!
A disregard for marriage,
for relationships of two,
“Never, ever” he would wail,
“That would never do”!
Yet he loved all, and we loved him.
His quirks always forgiven,
His stubbornness frustrated,
But missed, now he’s in Heaven.
The truest Ram, amongst us all,
Now gone for evermore.
For Daniel, for DCFC
Let’s all be more B4
xxx
🐏🤍

When I heard this sad news last night, I was absolutely gutted, B4 was such a positive man, an optimist in times of mediocrity, a true believer who only faltered once, when we were on the brink 16 months ago. The thought of losing his beloved Rams, filled him with dread.
However, it is only tonight, reading everyone's tributes, with an unashamed tear rolling down my cheek, that the bigger picture emerged. Tales of chats at service stations and concourses, his passion at at games and most tellingly, the private messages of encouragement or empathy when other posters were going through a tough time. Even when he had his own troubles, which would have left most of us exhausted and probably would have prevented all of us attaining his relentless positivity.
The reason behind those chats and messages, as well as good human nature, is we are family. We have something which binds us together, a shared love, a community. We live in a polarised society, where politicians, media and social media seek to expose and amplify any divisions and isolate us. However, we have an attachment, a forum, a club, a badge, a team to rally round and no-one rallied round The Rams more than B4. For those, like B4, who may find life hasn't always been kind or easy, that sense of attachment is even stronger and more important. 
They say you die twice in life, once when you stop breathing and again when people stop remembering you. Daniel, we will remember you, we will remember your rallying cries, your kindness to others and most of all the purity of your faith for the team you love.        

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.
 

The lad was so positive and so Derby County to the point it made people laugh at times, but that was just him. Unwavering in his love and belief in Derby.
Stark reminder for everyone, none more so than myself, to be a little bit more B4. 
Best wishes to his family. 

My grandad fought for the right for health and safety officers to be able to enforce regulations. 

What an idiotic statement!! Nothing to do with football but why will every ground including non league and even park football show there respect today and tomorrow  ??
Some young men never got the chance to play football and today is about respecting them !! Don't bring palestine into it as today is all about those who bravely lost there lives!!! 

Happy to report that both my wife and big sister arrived home safe and unharmed from their voluntary stint on the Poppy Stall in Derbion on Tuesday!
What is the world coming to?
Alleged attacks on a 78 year old volunteer in Edinburgh.
Poppy sellers "feeling nervous" being surrounded by mobs of "Protesters" at Charring Cross.
The Rochdale Cenotaph being daubed with "Political Graffiti".
The sanctity of The London Cenotaph at high risk for this coming weekend.
I get some don't agree with what The Poppy symbolises and represents.  I get that.  Each to their own.  But to actively go out of their way to threaten Poppy Sellers (All of whom are volunteers, and many of whom are "elderly") and/or wearers, is the scummiest of the scum in my book. 
I'll be adding extra pride to my stance at 11am at The NMA on Sunday, after doing similar at The Camp Bastion Wall Memorial, as we mark our remembrance and respect to one known fallen hero in particular, on our son's behalf (as he's away clearing landmines in Ukraine, so can't attend in person). 
I'll be arriving earlier than usual for the match tomorrow, to join in the (assumed?) pre-KO remembrance.
And I'll be wearing my nice new shiny 2023 lapel poppy alongside a few older ones over the coming days... f*** em, I say!  
Lest we forget
xxx

Found his level then. 

But it is a bit like democracy isn’t it ! Flawed .. but nothing better has come along. I think we are going to disagree on this one. India, Africa and so many others have had a very long time to sort out the “mess” but are repeating the mistakes of the empire under their own steam and doing a fine job with a different canvas. 

So Paul Warne will be there then 

Ah, the first round of the cup. The proper way to win it. 
Who'd want to enter in Round 3 and think that was winning the competition properly. 

Warne out!

i want us to play football

Warne out!