Starship's ninth test creates problems for Elon Musk [View all]
https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5325875-spacex-starship-rocket-test-failures/
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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 Musks dream of founding a settlement on Mars. He has hopes of an uncrewed landing on the moon in 2026 to test Starships 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.
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The other problem Musk faces is political. He has spent the past year delving into politics, first by supporting Donald Trumps 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 Musks 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.
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