[mlindner]

"Loses" is kind of an incorrect way to talk about the launch. The flight made great progress and was just shy of orbital velocity (it was over 24,000 km/hr and orbital velocity is around 24,500 km/hr for a low orbit).

Keep in mind that the goal of this launch wasn't to carry any payload. It was to get data and further iterative development. People here, especially, should understand how iterative development works.

[radu_floricica]

Fair point - they didn't even plan a landing for the Spaceship, just a splashdown in the Pacific, so the plan was always to "lose" it. And it was well on track for that, it reached target height and already fired about 90% of its fuel. The only thing it didn't get to test was the heat shield, but there'll be plenty of other chances.

I'm sorry about the booster tho. But overall it's hard to consider this anything other than a great success.

[pixl97]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7LYw6gU65ac

Scott Manley has a good short up on the booster at hot staging.

[agumonkey]

any footage of the splashdown ?

[imtringued]

Did you miss the part where the first stage exploded and they lost communication with the second stage?

There is no footage for that.

[agumonkey]

I found some

[mulcahey]

Loren is a bad reporter

[Dalewyn]

I'm not really surprised at their choice of words, the mainstream narrative is that Elon is evil after all.

Even here, the detractors are coming out of the woodwork to complain about success. At least we get to mine salt from their tears, I guess?

[conception]

There are no good billionaires.