Pavel Varenka The end of the week is slowly approaching, which of course also means some juicy news from the technological world, where more than enough has happened in the last day. Although yesterday we missed our traditional talk about deep space and flights into the unknown, this time we probably won't avoid this pastime. The alpha and omega of today's news and summary is the monumental explosion of the Starship spacecraft from the SpaceX laboratories, which successfully completed the altitude test, but somehow burned up (literally) in the final landing. We will also have fun with the Delta IV Heavy rocket, i.e. the heaviest giant that mankind has created so far. And the robot company Boston Dynamics, which is growing so fast that it was bought by the Hyundai corporation, should also be mentioned.
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Amaya Toman Hyundai buys Boston Dynamics for just under a billion dollars. Robots are in short order
If you've been around the tech world for a while, you've certainly not missed Boston Dynamics, an ambitious robot development company. Although there are many similar companies, this particular one has a relatively long and rich history of successful attempts. In addition to an intelligent robotic dog, the scientists also boasted, for example, Atlas, a robot capable of somersaults and such stunts that humanoid robots have not even dreamed of. A whole range of manufacturers and companies quickly took up the use of robotic companions and adapted to a world where in the near future there will probably be no shortage of artificial intelligence.
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Either way, the explosive growth of Boston Dynamics was one of the reasons why a number of large corporations became interested in the acquisition. After all, buying such a lucrative business seems like a great idea, and it's no wonder that Hyundai, which is known for its penchant for innovation and especially breakthroughs in the field of technology, quickly jumped at the opportunity. Also for this reason, a preliminary agreement was already reached in November and, above all, the settlement of the amount, which rose to almost one billion dollars, specifically to 921 million. This is definitely a great step forward and, above all, a collaboration that could enrich both parties in the final. Who knows what else Boston Dynamics will come up with.
The explosion of the spaceship Starship amused and frightened. Elon Musk somehow failed to land smoothly
It wouldn't be a correct summary if it didn't mention at least once the legendary visionary Elon Musk, who has both Tesla and SpaceX under his thumb. It was the second mentioned space company that recently embarked on a daring test, which consisted of trying to get the gigantic spaceship Starship to a height of about 12.5 kilometers, thus testing the ability of gasoline engines to bear such a weight. Although the test was successful and the engines did not have the slightest problem with lifting the ship into the clouds, a greater difficulty arose with maneuvering. After all, imagine having to perfectly balance a multi-ton behemoth hurtling back toward the ground.
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The whole concept works on the basis that the company takes the rocket into the clouds, specifically to the required height, turns off the engines and lets it fall freely. Just above the ground, he then activates the thrusters and tries to level the massive structure so that it lands vertically and ideally as it should. This was partly successful, but as it turned out, the engineers' calculations were not as precise as it might seem. The jets did not provide enough power and, in a way, they straightened the rocket, but they were far from able to slow it down enough to prevent it from exploding upon impact. And that just happened, which does not negate the success of the test, but believe us, the internet will be joking about this stunt for a long time to come.
The gigantic Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch into orbit soon. It will carry a top secret satellite
The space company SpaceX already had enough of its own space, so it would be appropriate to give the opportunity to other adepts in the position of a space pioneer. We are talking about the company United Launch Alliance, or rather an organization uniting several leading manufacturers in the field of rockets. It is this giant that is preparing to send the second heaviest and largest rocket in the world called Delta IV Heavy into orbit, which will carry a top secret military satellite with it. Of course, no one knows or can know what it is for, but even so, it is certain that ULA is making quite a fuss about the whole event, which is understandable given the competition.
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Although the rocket was supposed to go into orbit several months ago, each time the flight was postponed indefinitely due to unfavorable conditions. Finally, the fateful date is approaching when it will be seen whether ULA can compete with such giants as SpaceX. In any case, it will be a more expensive pastime than it is in the case of rival SpaceX. Unlike Elon Musk, ULA does not plan to use the landing modules and thus save a few million dollars. Instead, it sticks to a more traditional model, but it cannot be ruled out that the company will be inspired in the future. Let's see if this ambitious alliance can fulfill its plan and successfully complete the mission.
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Why is someone writing about Starship who knows nothing about it?
1. Gross inaccuracy:
"The goal was to test the ability of gasoline engines to withstand such a weight"
Truth: The thrust of the engines is known and so is the mass of the ship, so calculating whether the engines will carry the ship is the easiest thing, moreover, she flew with one engine and had three engines installed...
2. Gross inaccuracy:
"greater difficulty occurred with maneuvering"
Verifying the maneuvering was the main task, and it turned out to be 100% successful! Including a mega heavy maneuver just before landing that guided the ship exactly to the center of the landing area, no one has ever done that with such a heavy ship!
3. Inaccuracy
"The jets did not provide enough power and, in a way, they straightened the rocket, but they were far from able to slow it down.."
The problem was not with the jets or engines.. But with the fuel pressure in the landing tank, as SpaceX said 10 minutes after the test..
It's nothing to joke about, it was the first test, it had a 30% chance of success and it was 90% successful, they have the necessary data for further tests, it turned out great :)