Musk Reads: SpaceX Crew Dragon has launched

Crew Dragon gets certified and Roadster goes on a journey. How to sign up for Starlink internet without internet? It’s Musk Reads: SpaceX Edition #219.

SpaceX’s latest launch represents a big step forward in human spaceflight. Subscribe early to Musk Reads+, where you’ll be able to read Robin Seemangal reveal what it’s really like to witness a SpaceX launch, as well as other exclusive interviews and analysis.

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Musk quote of the week

“Thrusters are integrated with spacecraft, enabling abort capability all the way to abort for increased safety.”

• Read more about Crew Dragon’s advanced SuperDraco thrusters.

SpaceX

We have lift off. The Crew Dragon capsule successfully hosted its first non-test crewed launch Sunday evening as the “Crew–1” mission launched at 7:27 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch sent up NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker alongside Soichi Noguchi from Japanese space agency JAXA. NASA and SpaceX released an impressive array of photos and videos in the aftermath of the launch. Read more.

The launch comes in the same week that NASA completed the signing of the Human Rating Certification Plan. This means that SpaceX’s Crew Dragon-focused system is the first such commercial setup in history to receive certification for transporting humans to and from the International Space Station. Read more.

The “Crew–1” mission isn’t quite over yet — the teams will be keeping an eye on the capsule as it prepares to reach the space station on Monday at around 11 p.m. Eastern time. The group’s experiences could inform future missions like the “Crew–2” launch expected in early 2021. Read more.

What’s next for SpaceX: The company is set to launch the Sentinel 6A satellite at Space Launch Complex 4E from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission is set to launch at 9:17 a.m. Pacific time on November 21.

In other Musk news…

Where is Starman? The latest data shows that Musk’s red Tesla Roadster is likely moving away from both Earth and Mars at high speed at this moment. Last month, the Roadster had its closest meeting with Mars. The car was sent up on the first flight of the Falcon Heavy in February 2018. Read more.

“Am getting wildly different results from different labs, but most likely I have a moderate case of covid,” Musk wrote on his Twitter page last week. The declaration came one day after Musk tested positive twice and negative twice for the virus, which led him to write that “something extremely bogus is going on.” Musk claimed earlier that he was awaiting the results from a PCR test, considered to be a highly specific form of testing.

Musk Reads mailroom

Dan Kerns writes:

“I am very disappointed in the proposed cost of Starlink. I was hoping it would compete favorably with Fios and Xfinity.” Are you freaking kidding me? This is a gamechanger!!! If you can get comcast go for it. If you can’t twice this price would be an easy decision.

Starlink may have a high price compared to the likes of Comcast — $99 per month, plus a $499 installation fee — but for many people, it could be their best option yet.

Justin Robinson writes:

I was wondering, how does SpaceX want people with no internet to sign up for Starlink but the website to sign up needs internet to work?

Good question. Viasat and HughesNet both allow customers to order by phone. Perhaps after the “Better Than Nothing” beta, SpaceX could explore something similar?

Got any comments or queries? Don’t forget to send them over to muskreads@inverse.com.

Photo of the week

SpaceX’s rocket lifts off into the night sky.

Got any photos or videos you’d like to share? Feel free to send them over to muskreads@inverse.com.

The ultra-fine print

This has been Musk Reads: SpaceX Edition #219, the weekly rundown of essential reading about futurist and entrepreneur Elon Musk. I’m Mike Brown, an innovation journalist for Inverse.

• Email me directly at mike.brown@inverse.com and follow Inverse on Twitter @inversedotcom. Follow me on Twitter @mikearildbrown.
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