I failed to get my streaming (LABPadre} started until about 3 minutes after launch.
At about 7:11am (Sunday, October 13, 2024}I DID observe the first catching of a StarShip booster on "chopstick" launch tower. In Boca Chica. There are MANY firsts here. First catching of ANY space vehicle. And first catching of a StarShip component. Yet ANOTHER verification of Elon Musk's rapid and low cost development strategy.
The StarShip5 experienced a sudden unplanned disassembly around 8:30 as it was attempting a hover just above Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. That was not very relevant since near all mission goals had been achieved. After the flight, LABPadre introduced us to the first Neuralink patient. I did not divine the reason for his presence but he is to control a LABPadre camera for the StarShip6 launch. We hope within about two months. To belabor: here is a paralyzed {below his neck) guy who is now able control many devices through his Neuralink which is implanted in his skull.
Early on in my Teslaite career, about 2012, I noticed Elon Musk's odd personality and ill considered utterances. With the success of Tesla Motors, his behaviors became completely immaterial in my mind. With the successes of other of Musk companies, the relevance of personal behaviors became even less. The Boring Company. SpaceX. Neuralink. What have I missed. Each and every of the Musk companies has greatly contributed to the progress of civilization; pushing achievement forward decades and at affordable costs. Many people I've encountered, by way of Tesla car ownership, I have watched shift from "Elon is an genius who single handedly brought EVs into common use" to "Elon is an asshole, I will never buy anything produced by any of his companies". I have had no such changes in judgement/attitude. Of the perhaps 100 of the Tesla early adopters that I met in the first few years, at least 50% have gone to the other side and are now Elon haters.
Elon, obviously, has many talents. Perhaps the most obvious of Elon's strategies is the "break it as early as possible then, just as quickly as possible, make corrections/fixes". Right behind is Elon's inspiring and then hiring highly talented and motivated personnel to carry out his plans. Ms Shotwell, SpaceX CEO, is perhaps the most famous of Elon's minions. However, there are likely thousands of Shotwells working for Elon's companies.
A pelone: Looking for SpaceX equity? Look at BPTIX/BPTRX. SpaceX is SUPPOSED to spin off StarLink in a year or two. I expect it to be a big stock market event.
