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Elon Musk says Tesla may have to get into the lithium business because costs are so ‘insane’

Elon Musk tweeted Tesla may get into the lithium mining and refining business directly and at scale because the cost of the metal, a key component in manufacturing batteries, has gotten so high.

“Price of lithium has gone to insane levels,” Musk tweeted. “There is no shortage of the element itself, as lithium is almost everywhere on Earth, but pace of extraction/refinement is slow.”

The Tesla and SpaceX tech boss was responding to a tweet showing the average price of lithium per tonne in the last two decades, which showed a massive increase in prices since 2021. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the cost of the metal has gone up more than 480% in the last year.

Watch: All-civilian Crew Arrives at International Space Station

The first all-civilian crew arrived at the International Space Station after a historic launch with SpaceX and Axiom Space. The crew will spend eight days partaking in science experiments and philanthropic projects. » Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC
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#ISS #NASA #SpaceX

Watch: all-civilian crew arrives at international space station.

A Cosmic Camera is Being Sent to the Moon’s South Pole

The International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) in Hawai’i is preparing to launch a dual-camera system attached to a Moon lander whose primary purpose will be to photograph the cosmos.

ILOA is preparing its precursor science education payload for integration on a pioneering commercial Moon lander later this year, while also continuing to advance more robust observatories for future long-term astronomy, science, and exploration missions.

The International Lunar Observatory (ILO) missions have been in development for the better part of a decade. In 2013, ILOA and the Moon Express corporation announced the private enterprise mission in 2013 that would have both scientific and commercial purposes with the goal of delivering the ILO to the Moon’s South Pole aboard a robotic lander. The hope is that it would establish permanent astrophysical observations and lunar commercial communications systems for professional and amateur researchers.

Richard Branson could be the first billionaire to fly on Elon Musk’s Starship

It would signify new levels of space baron cooperation. It’s no secret that Richard Branson is a big fan of SpaceX.


It’s no secret that Richard Branson is a big fan of SpaceX.

And, as a fellow space baron to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, it’s hard to blame him — since Musk’s aerospace firm is edging closer to attempting its first orbital flight with a fully stacked Starship vehicle — and a launch date fast approaching. This will be a huge step for Musk’s ambitions to build, operate, and land a new spaceship on the surface of Mars, putting humans on the Red Planet.

Much testing is needed before the big jump can happen. And, having bested Jeff Bezos in repeatedly contested contracts with NASA to build the Human Landing System for the Artemis program, Musk has assumed a rapidly widening lead ahead of his two space baron rivals, Blue Origin CEO Bezos and Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson.

Rocket Lab to attempt first mid-air helicopter capture of Electron rocket

Interesting vehicle.


New Zealand and U.S.-based aerospace company Rocket Lab announced that during its next Electron launch, a commercial rideshare mission currently scheduled for later this month, the company will attempt a mid-air helicopter capture of the Electron launch vehicle for the first time. This will further the company’s program to make Electron the first reusable orbital small launch vehicle.

Rocket Lab’s 26th Electron launch, the “There and Back Again” mission, has a 14-day launch window scheduled to commence on April 19, 2022. Electron will lift off from Pad A at Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula and will carry 34 payloads from different commercial operators to Earth’s low orbit.

When the Electron’s first stage returns from space after launch, a customized Sikorsky S-92 twin-engine helicopter will be ready to catch it. Around an hour before lift-off, Rocket Lab’s Sikorsky S-92 helicopter will move into position in the capture zone, approximately 150 nautical miles (278 km) off New Zealand’s coast.

Elon Musk FINALLY Reveals Artificial Gravity Starship 2022!

Video Credit:

IamVisuals: https://bit.ly/35Z3POh.
SpaceXVision: https://bit.ly/3xWTpeb.
DeepSpaceCourier: https://bit.ly/3y0hTmS
C-Bass Productions: https://bit.ly/35Z25F0
HazeGrayArt: https://bit.ly/3hcfgHM
Jochem Laurenssen: https://bit.ly/3vVIJuU
TijnM: https://bit.ly/3x2IWxK
AlexanderSvan: https://bit.ly/3djK9J4
NickHenning3D: https://bit.ly/36bsSy1
EvanKaren: https://bit.ly/3h1gmqV
NasaSpaceFlight: https://bit.ly/2TKU2sL
Kimitalvitie: https://twitter.com/kimitalvitie.
Neopork: https://twitter.com/Neopork85
AlexanderSvan: https://bit.ly/3jmOD3P
RGV Aerial Photography: https://bit.ly/37n1duw.
StarshipGazer: https://twitter.com/StarshipGazer.
Ocean Cam: https://twitter.com/obetraveller.
LabPadre: https://twitter.com/LabPadre.
Spadre: https://twitter.com/SpacePadreIsle.
3Ddaniel: https://twitter.com/3DDaniel1
StarshipBocaChica: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBfh… Please check out OrbitalAssemblyCooperations for their amazing Artificial Gravity concept. https://youtube.com/watch?v=M-XLPrw-lSA For the first time in the history of humanity, we stand a good chance of walking on the surface of Mars! And this is thanks to the dogged ambition of Elon Musk. The billionaire is building a mighty spacecraft, the Starship, that will take volunteers across the vast distance between Earth and Mars! However, since the trip will take months in deep space, Musk’s company, SpaceX, has to find a way to protect the travelers from the effect of microgravity during the duration of the journey! This is why SpaceX has come up with an artificial gravity Starship! What is this spacecraft, and how does it work? Join us as we explore SpaceX’s insane artificial gravity Starship.

Please check out OrbitalAssemblyCooperations for their amazing Artificial Gravity concept.
https://www.youtube.com/c/OrbitalAssemblyCorporation/videos.

For the first time in the history of humanity, we stand a good chance of walking on the surface of.
Mars! And this is thanks to the dogged ambition of Elon Musk. The billionaire is building a.
mighty spacecraft, the Starship, that will take volunteers across the vast distance between Earth.
and Mars! However, since the trip will take months in deep space, Musk’s company, SpaceX.
has to find a way to protect the travelers from the effect of microgravity during the duration of.
the journey! This is why SpaceX has come up with an artificial gravity Starship! What is this.
spacecraft, and how does it work?
Join us as we explore SpaceX’s insane artificial gravity Starship.

SpaceX’s upgraded Super Heavy booster sails through first major test

SpaceX’s first upgraded 33-engine Super Heavy booster appears to have passed a crucial test with surprising ease, boding well for a smooth qualification process.

Attempting that test so early on did not appear to be SpaceX’s initial plan. Instead, shortly before Super Heavy Booster 4’s third and likely final removal from Starbase’s ‘orbital launch mount’ (OLM) on March 24th, SpaceX transported a massive structural test stand from a Starbase storage yard to the orbital launch site (OLS), where technicians have focused on modifying nearby ground systems to support apparent structural testing of Super Heavy Booster 7. As of March 31st, all available evidence suggested that SpaceX was preparing that stand to verify Booster 7’s mechanical strength and simulate the major stresses it might experience before investing a significant amount of time and resources in qualification testing.

However, SpaceX appeared to change its plans at the last minute.

Space Symposium: NASA Leaders on Building the Space Economy with the Artemis Program

NASA associate administrators participate in a panel on the collaboration of the Artemis Program and the aerospace industry in building the space economy at the 37th Annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Speakers include:
- Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
- Jim Free, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
- Jim Reuter, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
- Ken Bowersox, Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate.

The panel is moderated by Northrop Grumman/Space Foundation’s Lauren Smith.