Starship's ninth test creates problems for Elon Musk

[nitpicked]

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5325875-spacex-starship-rocket-test-failures/

(snip)
Musk has two very big problems on his hands, one technical and the other political.

The technical problem consists of getting Starship operational so that it can both support the Artemis return to the moon program and Musk’s dream of founding a settlement on Mars. He has hopes of an uncrewed landing on the moon in 2026 to test Starship’s use as a Human Landing System for the Artemis III mission, currently planned for 2027. He also would like to send an uncrewed Starship to Mars in 2026.
(snip)

The other problem Musk faces is political. He has spent the past year delving into politics, first by supporting Donald Trump’s campaign to be reelected as president, then by running the DOGE project to ferret out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. His political adventures, no matter what one thinks of them, have rubbed some powerful people the wrong way.

One can already write the talking points, accusing the Trump administration of spending money so that Musk can blow up rockets. It is only a matter of time before Musk’s opponents in Washington, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), run to the cameras to denounce the billionaire space race. He has done so before.
(snip)

[Midnight Writer]

1. "One pill makes you bigger, another makes you small"

[question everything]

2. About going to the moon: when we remember that the first Apollo was so flimsy and did it

and this “Big Beautiful Ship” cannot?

[Irish_Dem]

3. no money for SS, Medicare, healthcare, science, education, etc etc.

But plenty of money to go to Mars.

[dchill]

5. These are carefully considered priorities!

Don't bite the hand you feed.

[brush]

4. A settlement on Mars? Then what? Who's going to volunteer for eternal boredom on the red planet?

[dchill]

6. A crazy person.