REUTERS reports that yesterday (10/13/2024), SpaceX’ fifth Starship test flight successfully returned the rocket’s first stage booster to its launchpad in Texas using giant mechanical arms. This is yet another novel engineering feat for the company, as it pushes to build a reusable moon and Mars transport vehicle (spaceship system).
The rocket lifted off yesterday at 7:25 AM (CDT) from SpaceX’s launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas, with all 33 Raptor engines firing perfectly. CEO Elon Musk was ecstatic and SpaceX’ engineers jubilant as the first stage booster landed at its launch tower – an action that has never before been accomplished in space exploration and development.
This marks the latest advance in SpaceX’s test-to-failure development campaign for a fully reusable rocket designed to lift cargo and ferry humans to the moon for NASA, and eventually reach Mars – the ultimate destination envisioned by Musk.
The REUTERS article may be read in full HERE.
Here is a YouTube video uploaded by The Associated Press showing yesterday’s liftoff and booster return to the launchpad:
My brothers and sisters, with NASA seemingly stuck in earth orbit since the late ’60s and early ’70s when it launched multiple Apollo missions to the moon, watching the vision and wisdom of Elon Musk come to fruition as the leader of SpaceX is an absolute joy.
Space exploration and development is an inherently dangerous activity, but so far, the company is balancing the drive for efficient and forward-thinking space travel with safety. It takes vision and boldness to move forward in a world full of highly risk-averse and politically-divided countries which see government, not private ownership and industry, as the answer to everything in life.
SpaceX is an example of what many used to refer to as “the American dream” being played out before the world. Even NASA, perhaps stuck in an old paradigm about government control of all space travel, can learn a thing or two from private industry – which interestingly, is now relying on SpaceX to return the Boeing Starliner’s two astronauts currently ‘stranded’ on the International Space Station (“ISS”) sometime in February 2025 and to replace the current dependence on Russian spacecraft to shuttle astronauts to and from the ISS.
This is all happening as the U.S. has a border being overrun by persons from all over the globe wanting to come to the United States, and for good reason. Despite all of the current political difficulties, non-freedom loving, dictatorial and communist countries such as North Korea, China, Russia and Iran, have governments which tightly control not only those who who come in, but those who attempt to leave. This speaks volumes. Let those who have ears…
The freedom we enjoy in the United States comes from God, as the sinful nature of man (see Romans 7:15-20 and Galatians 5:24) alone would not have managed to write the Declaration of Independence and establish the U.S. Constitution!
The ‘land of the free and the home of the brave’ is not just a song, but a reality to be cherished. Sadly, however, it seems that many citizens nowadays are less willing to attribute the blessings of liberty to God and to acknowledge His hand upon our nation. Lord have mercy upon us!
No person is sinless (see Romans 3:23), but Elon Musk is proving that men and women, who are blessed by and made in the very image and likeness of God (see Genesis 1:26-27), are still capable of amazing things, so long as we are not selfishly creating and give all the praise, honor and glory to the Lord!
Here are the above-referenced scriptures:
Romans 7:15-20 (NKJV)
The Sinful Nature of the Flesh
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me [emphasis mine].”
Galatians 5:24 (NLT)
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature [emphasis mine] to [H]is cross and crucified them there.”
Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”.
Genesis 1:26-27 (NKJV)
“Then God said, ‘[l]et Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [emphasis mine]; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”