SpaceX CEO Elon Musk never fails to take the world by surprise and his latest Twitter post seems to have reinstated the same. Earlier today Musk announced his latest project, a 'cyborg dragon'.&nbsp;

"Oh btw I’m building a cyborg dragon," read his tweet.

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Oh btw I’m building a cyborg dragon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/989198118666162176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Musk is known to have juggled multiple projects between SpaceX, Tesla, and The Boring Company. Musk's latest announcement has got many raise an eyebrow and most scratching their head in wonder.&nbsp;

Musk did not give out any more details about his brand new project, however, Twitter broke into a wave of reactions mulling over and interpreting what could his tweet possibly mean.

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Are you trying to suggest that you're creating an actual, flesh-and-blood dragon with technological enhancements?? That'd be incredible!!
— Idiot College Intern Steve (@theidiotintern) <a href="https://twitter.com/theidiotintern/status/989204001848774656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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There goes <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a>, dropping acid and inventing the future again.
— Yvette (@TheSciBabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSciBabe/status/989312869937246208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A Proto Type perhaps? <a href="https://t.co/XHrFKTDnc2">pic.twitter.com/XHrFKTDnc2</a>
— Magma Admín Gardevoir (@MagmADGardevoir) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagmADGardevoir/status/989259520902942720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this month, Musk took to Twitter and posted a funny post declaring that <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-hilarious-april-fools-tweet-silences-speculation-around-teslas-finances-127862">Tesla had gone bankrupt</a>. Musk's April Fool's post exhibited his humour-quotient (which is almost always spot on) and also silenced reports suggesting Tesla's shaky financial situation.&nbsp;

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Tesla Goes Bankrupt 
Palo Alto, California, April 1, 2018 -- Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/980566101124722688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it," read one of his tweets.&nbsp;

Musk's latest announcement got many raise an eyebrow and most scratching their head in wonder.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk never fails to take the world by surprise and his latest Twitter post seems to have reinstated the same. Earlier today Musk announced his latest project, a 'cyborg dragon'. "Oh btw I’m building a cyborg dragon," read his tweet. Oh btw I’m building a cyborg dragon — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2018 × Musk is known to have juggled multiple projects between SpaceX, Tesla, and The Boring Company. Musk's latest announcement has got many raise an eyebrow and most scratching their head in wonder. Musk did not give out any more details about his brand new project, however, Twitter broke into a wave of reactions mulling over and interpreting what could his tweet possibly mean. Are you trying to suggest that you're creating an actual, flesh-and-blood dragon with technological enhancements?? That'd be incredible!! — Idiot College Intern Steve (@theidiotintern) April 25, 2018 × There goes @elonmusk, dropping acid and inventing the future again. — Yvette (@TheSciBabe) April 26, 2018 × A Proto Type perhaps? pic.twitter.com/XHrFKTDnc2 — Magma Admín Gardevoir (@MagmADGardevoir) April 25, 2018 × Earlier this month, Musk took to Twitter and posted a funny post declaring that Tesla had gone bankrupt. Musk's April Fool's post exhibited his humour-quotient (which is almost always spot on) and also silenced reports suggesting Tesla's shaky financial situation. Tesla Goes Bankrupt Palo Alto, California, April 1, 2018 -- Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2018 × "Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt. So bankrupt, you can't believe it," read one of his tweets.

Elon Musk's next project? He says he's 'building a cyborg dragon'

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/south-asia/us-designates-hafiz-saeeds-milli-muslim-league-as-terrorist-outfit-127961">US</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/south-asia/us-designates-hafiz-saeeds-milli-muslim-league-as-terrorist-outfit-127961"> designates Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as </a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/south-asia/us-designates-hafiz-saeeds-milli-muslim-league-as-terrorist-outfit-127961">terrorist</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/south-asia/us-designates-hafiz-saeeds-milli-muslim-league-as-terrorist-outfit-127961"> outfit</a>

In a major move ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, the US today designated Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, as a foreign terrorist organization.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/bharat-bandh-violence-special-forces-to-be-deployed-in-madhya-pradesh-127962">Bharat Bandh violence: Special forces to be deployed in Madhya Pradesh</a>

The Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits turned violent in many states on Monday including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/sports/india-under-scanner-over-doping-fears-at-commonwealth-games-127968">India under scanner over doping fears at Commonwealth Games</a>

The organizers of Commonwealth Games said they have summoned "undisclosed competing nation" after discarded needles were found at the Games village in Australia's Gold Coast.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/14-civilians-killed-in-clash-between-nigerian-army-boko-haram-militants-127951">14 civilians killed in </a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/14-civilians-killed-in-clash-between-nigerian-army-boko-haram-militants-127951">clash</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/14-civilians-killed-in-clash-between-nigerian-army-boko-haram-militants-127951"> between Nigerian Army, Boko Haram militants</a>

Reportedly around 18 militants including suicide bombers, mortars and gunmen targeted two villages namely Bale Shuwa and Alkaranti and a military base near the city of Maiduguri, in Borno State.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/spacexs-dragon-launched-in-resupply-mission-to-iss-127966">SpaceX's 'Dragon' launched in </a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/spacexs-dragon-launched-in-resupply-mission-to-iss-127966">resupply</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/spacexs-dragon-launched-in-resupply-mission-to-iss-127966"> mission to ISS</a>

The spacecraft was launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday. Within 10 minutes of its launch, the spacecraft was confirmed of having reached a "good orbit".

US designates Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as terrorist outfit In a major move ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, the US today designated Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, as a foreign terrorist organization. Bharat Bandh violence: Special forces to be deployed in Madhya Pradesh The Bharat Bandh called by Dalit outfits turned violent in many states on Monday including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand. India under scanner over doping fears at Commonwealth Games The organizers of Commonwealth Games said they have summoned "undisclosed competing nation" after discarded needles were found at the Games village in Australia's Gold Coast. 14 civilians killed in clash between Nigerian Army, Boko Haram militants Reportedly around 18 militants including suicide bombers, mortars and gunmen targeted two villages namely Bale Shuwa and Alkaranti and a military base near the city of Maiduguri, in Borno State. SpaceX's 'Dragon' launched in resupply mission to ISS The spacecraft was launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday. Within 10 minutes of its launch, the spacecraft was confirmed of having reached a "good orbit".

News brief: Five big stories of the day

Elon Musk-led SpaceX has launched Dragon spacecraft as part of its resupply mission to the International Space Station.&nbsp;

The spacecraft was launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday. Within 10 minutes of its launch, the spacecraft was confirmed of having reached a "good orbit".&nbsp;

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Right on schedule, solar arrays have been deployed on the <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dragon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dragon</a> cargo spacecraft as it heads to <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. Watch: <a href="https://t.co/C8BIw7hGzo">https://t.co/C8BIw7hGzo</a> <a href="https://t.co/OjC13uB8zj">pic.twitter.com/OjC13uB8zj</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/980909013788315648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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'Dragon'&nbsp;left Earth packed with 2,630 kg of research, crew supplies and hardware. It is expected to attach to the space station on Wednesday after which it will spend close to a month attached to the ISS.

Dragon's return is scheduled around May with some results of completed experiments.

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Dragon is on its way to the International Space Station. Capture by <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> crew set for Wednesday morning.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/980909925865000963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dragon's mission includes delivering scientific investigations such as studying severe thunderstorms on Earth, food growth in space, among others.

The spacecraft also carried equipment for testing and studying the effects of the harsh space environment on items, identifying potential pathogens in the station and investigating an antibiotic-releasing wound patch.

Dragon's return is scheduled around May with some results of completed experiments

Elon Musk-led SpaceX has launched Dragon spacecraft as part of its resupply mission to the International Space Station. The spacecraft was launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday. Within 10 minutes of its launch, the spacecraft was confirmed of having reached a "good orbit". Right on schedule, solar arrays have been deployed on the @SpaceX #Dragon cargo spacecraft as it heads to @Space_Station. Watch: https://t.co/C8BIw7hGzo pic.twitter.com/OjC13uB8zj — NASA (@NASA) April 2, 2018 × 'Dragon' left Earth packed with 2,630 kg of research, crew supplies and hardware. It is expected to attach to the space station on Wednesday after which it will spend close to a month attached to the ISS. Dragon's return is scheduled around May with some results of completed experiments. Dragon is on its way to the International Space Station. Capture by @Space_Station crew set for Wednesday morning. — SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 2, 2018 × Dragon's mission includes delivering scientific investigations such as studying severe thunderstorms on Earth, food growth in space, among others. The spacecraft also carried equipment for testing and studying the effects of the harsh space environment on items, identifying potential pathogens in the station and investigating an antibiotic-releasing wound patch.

SpaceX's 'Dragon' launched in resupply mission to ISS

Tesla Inc said on Friday that a Tesla Model X involved a fatal crash in California last week had activated its Autopilot system, raising new questions about the semi-autonomous system that handles some driving tasks.

Tesla also said vehicle logs from the accident showed no action had been taken by the driver soon before the crash and that he had received earlier warnings to put his hands on the wheel.

"The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of an unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," Tesla said.

The statement did not say why the Autopilot system apparently did not detect the concrete divider.

The fatal crash and vehicle fire of the Tesla near Mountain View, California, involved two other cars and delayed traffic for hours. The 38-year-old Tesla driver died at a nearby hospital shortly after the crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which launched an investigation into the crash earlier this week, did not immediately comment late Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the fatal crash.

Autopilot allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel for extended periods under certain conditions. Tesla requires users to agree to keep their hands on the wheel “at all times” before they can use autopilot, but users routinely tout the fact they can use the system to drive hands-free.&nbsp

The NTSB faulted Tesla in a prior fatal autopilot crash.

In September, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said operational limitations in the Tesla Model S played a major role in a May 2016 crash that killed a driver using autopilot.

That death -- the first fatality in a Tesla vehicle operating in Autopilot mode -- raised questions about the safety of systems that can perform driving tasks for long stretches with little or no human intervention, but which cannot completely replace human drivers.

The NTSB said Tesla could have taken further steps to prevent the system's misuse, and faulted the driver for not paying attention and for "overreliance on vehicle automation."

In January, NHTSA and NTSB launched investigations into a Tesla vehicle, apparently travelling in semi-autonomous mode, that struck a fire truck in California. Neither agency nor Tesla has offered any update.

The government probes raise the risk for Tesla and automakers at a time when the industry is seeking federal legislation that would ease deployment of self-driving cars.

The crash comes soon after an Uber vehicle in Arizona in self-driving mode struck and killed a pedestrian in the first death linked to an autonomous vehicle.&nbsp

Tesla said late Friday that "Autopilot does not prevent all accidents – such a standard would be impossible – but it makes them much less likely to occur. It unequivocally makes the world safer for the vehicle occupants, pedestrians and cyclists."&nbsp

Tesla said that in the United States "there is one automotive fatality every 86 million miles across all vehicles from all manufacturers. For Tesla, there is one fatality, including known pedestrian fatalities, every 320 million miles in vehicles equipped with Autopilot hardware."

Tesla in September 2016 unveiled improvements to Autopilot, adding new limits on hands-off driving.

On Thursday, Tesla said it was recalling 123,000 Model S sedans built before April 2016 in order to replace bolts in the power steering component that can begin to corrode after contact in cold temperatures with road salt. No accidents or injuries were reported.

Tesla also said vehicle logs from the accident showed no action had been taken by the driver soon before the crash

Tesla Inc said on Friday that a Tesla Model X involved a fatal crash in California last week had activated its Autopilot system, raising new questions about the semi-autonomous system that handles some driving tasks. Tesla also said vehicle logs from the accident showed no action had been taken by the driver soon before the crash and that he had received earlier warnings to put his hands on the wheel. "The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of an unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," Tesla said. The statement did not say why the Autopilot system apparently did not detect the concrete divider. The fatal crash and vehicle fire of the Tesla near Mountain View, California, involved two other cars and delayed traffic for hours. The 38-year-old Tesla driver died at a nearby hospital shortly after the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which launched an investigation into the crash earlier this week, did not immediately comment late Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the fatal crash. Autopilot allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel for extended periods under certain conditions. Tesla requires users to agree to keep their hands on the wheel “at all times” before they can use autopilot, but users routinely tout the fact they can use the system to drive hands-free. The NTSB faulted Tesla in a prior fatal autopilot crash. In September, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said operational limitations in the Tesla Model S played a major role in a May 2016 crash that killed a driver using autopilot. That death -- the first fatality in a Tesla vehicle operating in Autopilot mode -- raised questions about the safety of systems that can perform driving tasks for long stretches with little or no human intervention, but which cannot completely replace human drivers. The NTSB said Tesla could have taken further steps to prevent the system's misuse, and faulted the driver for not paying attention and for "overreliance on vehicle automation." In January, NHTSA and NTSB launched investigations into a Tesla vehicle, apparently travelling in semi-autonomous mode, that struck a fire truck in California. Neither agency nor Tesla has offered any update. The government probes raise the risk for Tesla and automakers at a time when the industry is seeking federal legislation that would ease deployment of self-driving cars. The crash comes soon after an Uber vehicle in Arizona in self-driving mode struck and killed a pedestrian in the first death linked to an autonomous vehicle. Tesla said late Friday that "Autopilot does not prevent all accidents – such a standard would be impossible – but it makes them much less likely to occur. It unequivocally makes the world safer for the vehicle occupants, pedestrians and cyclists." Tesla said that in the United States "there is one automotive fatality every 86 million miles across all vehicles from all manufacturers. For Tesla, there is one fatality, including known pedestrian fatalities, every 320 million miles in vehicles equipped with Autopilot hardware." Tesla in September 2016 unveiled improvements to Autopilot, adding new limits on hands-off driving. On Thursday, Tesla said it was recalling 123,000 Model S sedans built before April 2016 in order to replace bolts in the power steering component that can begin to corrode after contact in cold temperatures with road salt. No accidents or injuries were reported.

Tesla says crashed vehicle had been on autopilot prior to accident

The private space firm SpaceX on Friday launched with a partially-reused rocket the latest group of communication satellites to upgrade mobile, voice and data networks for Virginia-based firm Iridium.

"We have successful liftoff of the Falcon 9," a SpaceX commentator said after the rocket roared off with a tail of fiery exhaust above Vandenberg US Air Force base in California.

This is the fifth set of 10 satellites that SpaceX has launched for Iridium, whose $3 billion project is expected to include a total of 81 satellites -- with 75 launched by SpaceX.

The first stage of the rocket launched on Friday had been used in October for a previous launch as part of the project, known as Iridium NEXT.

SpaceX will not attempt to make another recovery of the rocket's first stage after Friday's launch.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk aims to make rockets as reusable as commercial airplanes, bringing down the cost of spaceflight and boosting efficiency.

In February the company's Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful rocket, blasted off on its maiden test flight carrying Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster car.

The Iridium project, though less flamboyant, will replace the world's largest commercial satellite network of low-Earth orbit satellites in one of the largest "tech upgrades" in history, Iridium has said.

Some of the satellites are designed to help track ships and aircraft in real time.

The private space firm SpaceX on Friday launched with a partially-reused rocket the latest group of communication satellites to upgrade mobile, voice and data networks for Virginia-based firm Iridium

The private space firm SpaceX on Friday launched with a partially-reused rocket the latest group of communication satellites to upgrade mobile, voice and data networks for Virginia-based firm Iridium. "We have successful liftoff of the Falcon 9," a SpaceX commentator said after the rocket roared off with a tail of fiery exhaust above Vandenberg US Air Force base in California. This is the fifth set of 10 satellites that SpaceX has launched for Iridium, whose $3 billion project is expected to include a total of 81 satellites -- with 75 launched by SpaceX. The first stage of the rocket launched on Friday had been used in October for a previous launch as part of the project, known as Iridium NEXT. SpaceX will not attempt to make another recovery of the rocket's first stage after Friday's launch. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk aims to make rockets as reusable as commercial airplanes, bringing down the cost of spaceflight and boosting efficiency. In February the company's Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful rocket, blasted off on its maiden test flight carrying Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster car. The Iridium project, though less flamboyant, will replace the world's largest commercial satellite network of low-Earth orbit satellites in one of the largest "tech upgrades" in history, Iridium has said. Some of the satellites are designed to help track ships and aircraft in real time.

SpaceX blasts off with Iridium satellite payload

Verified Facebook pages of&nbsp;Elon&nbsp;Musk&#39;s rocket company SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla Inc&nbsp;disappeared on Friday, minutes after the Silicon Valley billionaire promised on Twitter to take down the pages when challenged by users.

&quot;Delete SpaceX page on Facebook if you&#39;re the man?&quot; a user tweeted to Tesla Chief ExecutiveMusk. His response: &quot;I didn&#39;t realize there was one. Will do.&quot;&nbsp;

Facebook pages of SpaceX and Tesla, which had millions of followers, are no longer accessible.

Musk&nbsp;had begun the exchange by responding to a tweet from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton on the #deletefacebook tag.

The hashtag gained prominence after the world&#39;s largest social network upset users by mishandling data, which ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica - a political consultancy that worked on U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign.

&quot;What&#39;s Facebook?&quot;&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;tweeted.

Many users also urged the billionaire to delete the profiles of his companies on Facebook&#39;s photo-sharing app Instagram.

&quot;Instagram&#39;s probably ok ... so long as it stays fairly independent,&quot;&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;responded.

&quot;I don&#39;t use FB &amp; never have, so don&#39;t think I&#39;m some kind of martyr or my companies are taking a huge blow. Also, we don&rsquo;t advertise or pay for endorsements, so ... don&#39;t care.&quot;

Musk&nbsp;has had run-ins with Facebook Inc&nbsp;founder Mark Zuckerberg in the past.

Last year, a war of words broke out between&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;and Zuckerberg over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators.

When Zuckerberg was asked about&nbsp;Musk&#39;s views on the dangers of robots, he chided &quot;naysayers&quot; whose &quot;doomsday scenarios&quot; were &quot;irresponsible.&quot;&nbsp;

In response,&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;tweeted: &quot;His understanding of the subject is limited.&quot;

"Delete SpaceX page on Facebook if you're the man?" a user tweeted to Tesla Chief ExecutiveMusk. His response: "I didn't realize there was one. Will do."

Verified Facebook pages of Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla Inc disappeared on Friday, minutes after the Silicon Valley billionaire promised on Twitter to take down the pages when challenged by users. "Delete SpaceX page on Facebook if you're the man?" a user tweeted to Tesla Chief ExecutiveMusk. His response: "I didn't realize there was one. Will do." Facebook pages of SpaceX and Tesla, which had millions of followers, are no longer accessible. Musk had begun the exchange by responding to a tweet from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton on the #deletefacebook tag. The hashtag gained prominence after the world's largest social network upset users by mishandling data, which ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica - a political consultancy that worked on U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. "What's Facebook?" Musk tweeted. Many users also urged the billionaire to delete the profiles of his companies on Facebook's photo-sharing app Instagram. "Instagram's probably ok ... so long as it stays fairly independent," Musk responded. "I don't use FB & never have, so don't think I'm some kind of martyr or my companies are taking a huge blow. Also, we don’t advertise or pay for endorsements, so ... don't care." Musk has had run-ins with Facebook Inc founder Mark Zuckerberg in the past. Last year, a war of words broke out between Musk and Zuckerberg over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators. When Zuckerberg was asked about Musk's views on the dangers of robots, he chided "naysayers" whose "doomsday scenarios" were "irresponsible." In response, Musk tweeted: "His understanding of the subject is limited."

Elon Musk deletes Facebook pages of Tesla, SpaceX after challenged on Twitter

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and his estranged father Errol Musk engaged in a war of words. While 46-year-old Elon described his father to have a &quot;carefully thought-out plan of evil&quot;, he was called &quot;spoilt&quot; in turn by Errol Musk.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Errol told a leading daily that his son has always thrown tantrums and needs to grow up. Errol Musk, 72, recently had a baby with his 30-year-old girlfriend which shocked the Musk clan.

Elon, in an emotional interview with a leading American magazine, called his father &quot;a terrible human&quot;.

Errol on Sunday shared that Elon behaves like a spoilt child and made such statements as a result of an emotional turmoil.&nbsp;

&quot;I think Elon was emotionally fragile when he attacked me,&quot; Errol said who further added that he will wait until Elon &quot;comes to his senses&quot;.&nbsp;

Elon, in an emotional interview with a leading American magazine, called his father 'a terrible human'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and his estranged father Errol Musk engaged in a war of words. While 46-year-old Elon described his father to have a "carefully thought-out plan of evil", he was called "spoilt" in turn by Errol Musk. On Sunday, Errol told a leading daily that his son has always thrown tantrums and needs to grow up. Errol Musk, 72, recently had a baby with his 30-year-old girlfriend which shocked the Musk clan. Elon, in an emotional interview with a leading American magazine, called his father "a terrible human". Errol on Sunday shared that Elon behaves like a spoilt child and made such statements as a result of an emotional turmoil. "I think Elon was emotionally fragile when he attacked me," Errol said who further added that he will wait until Elon "comes to his senses".

Elon Musk describes his father as 'terrible man', gets called 'spoilt child' in return

Bases on the moon and Mars could help preserve human civilization and hasten its regeneration on earth in the event of a third world war, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, said on Sunday.

Musk, the founder of rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX, said the company`s interplanetary ship could begin test flights as soon as next year.

There is &quot;some probability&quot; that there will be another Dark Ages, &quot;particularly if there is a third world war,&quot; Musk said at the SXSW conference.

&quot;We want to make sure that there`s enough of a seed of human civilization somewhere else to bring civilization back, and perhaps shorten the length of the Dark Ages,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think a moon base and a Mars base that could perhaps help regenerate life back here on earth would be really important.&quot;

Musk said he thinks that SpaceX`s interplanetary ship will &quot;be able to do short flights, short sort of up and down flights, probably sometime in the first half of next year.&quot;

SpaceX launched the world`s most powerful rocket, the Falcon Heavy, last month, sending Musk`s red Tesla Roadster car toward an orbit near Mars.

"I think a moon base and a Mars base that could perhaps help regenerate life back here on earth would be really important.", said Elon

Bases on the moon and Mars could help preserve human civilization and hasten its regeneration on earth in the event of a third world war, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, said on Sunday. Musk, the founder of rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX, said the company`s interplanetary ship could begin test flights as soon as next year. There is "some probability" that there will be another Dark Ages, "particularly if there is a third world war," Musk said at the SXSW conference. "We want to make sure that there`s enough of a seed of human civilization somewhere else to bring civilization back, and perhaps shorten the length of the Dark Ages," he said. "I think a moon base and a Mars base that could perhaps help regenerate life back here on earth would be really important." Musk said he thinks that SpaceX`s interplanetary ship will "be able to do short flights, short sort of up and down flights, probably sometime in the first half of next year." SpaceX launched the world`s most powerful rocket, the Falcon Heavy, last month, sending Musk`s red Tesla Roadster car toward an orbit near Mars.

Space bases could preserve civilization in World War III: Elon Musk

Elon Musk&#39;s SpaceX is all set to launch its Mars rocket by next year. During the SXSW festival on Sunday, Musk shared details of the first &quot;interplanetary ship&quot; which will be equipped for making short flights.&nbsp;

The rocket is likely to get ready by the first half of 2019.&nbsp;

One of the long-cherished desires in Musk&#39;s heart has always been the vision of sending humans to live on Mars; to colonise the Red Planet but not to become the ultimate ruler!&nbsp;

He previously described colonizing Mars as a huge &quot;entrepreneurial opportunity&quot; adding that the planet, if colonised, should have the best all that Earth has, from pizza joints to great bars, &quot;a Mars Bar&quot;.&nbsp;

Musk shared details of the first 'interplanetary ship'

Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to launch its Mars rocket by next year. During the SXSW festival on Sunday, Musk shared details of the first "interplanetary ship" which will be equipped for making short flights. The rocket is likely to get ready by the first half of 2019. One of the long-cherished desires in Musk's heart has always been the vision of sending humans to live on Mars; to colonise the Red Planet but not to become the ultimate ruler! He previously described colonizing Mars as a huge "entrepreneurial opportunity" adding that the planet, if colonised, should have the best all that Earth has, from pizza joints to great bars, "a Mars Bar".

Mars rocket to get ready and fly 'short flights' by next year: Elon Musk

Elon Musk&#39;s car that was recently shot into space as part of SpaceX&#39;s rocket test flight will likely collide with Earth or Venus eventually, scientists say.

&quot;It will likely end up colliding with Earth or Venus, but there&#39;s no need to panic since the probability of that happening even within the next million years is very small,&quot; said Hanno Rein, an assistant professor at University of Toronto in Canada.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-elon-musk-wants-to-reach-mars-is-it-a-great-idea-32066">Elon Musk wants to reach Mars. Is it a great idea?</a>

The car was sent into space as part of the payload for SpaceX&#39;s Falcon Heavy test flight on February 6.

While rocket test flights usually have a dummy payload, SpaceX founder Musk sent up his personal Tesla Roadster instead.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-poised-to-launch-worlds-most-powerful-rocket-31995">SpaceX poised to launch &#39;world&#39;s most powerful rocket&#39;</a>

Though the car does not have any scientific instruments on board, it is now classified as a near-earth object, and is being tracked by NASA&#39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory along with other objects that will travel relatively close to Earth.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-biggest-rocket-spacexs-falcon-heavy-soars-toward-mars-after-perfect-launch-32050">SpaceX sends a sports car into space with world&#39;s most powerful rocket</a>

After running a series of simulations using sophisticated software that can track the motion of objects in space, they determined the probability of it colliding with Earth and Venus over the next one million years to be six per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-musks-tesla-overshoots-mars-orbit-32245">Musk&#39;s Tesla overshoots Mars orbit</a>

They also determined that the first close encounter the Tesla will have with us will be in 2091, when it will pass within a few hundred thousand kilometres of Earth.

The car is currently on a Mars and Earth crossing orbit, meaning it will travel on an elliptical path that repeatedly carries it beyond Mars and then back to Earth&#39;s orbital distance from the sun.

How the car&#39;s orbit evolves over time will depend a lot on its encounters with Earth, especially how close it will get to Earth since any small change in its trajectory could have a large effect on its orbit.

While the path of the car can be accurately predicted in terms of years, after hundreds of years and many close encounters with Earth it becomes impossible to predict the object&#39;s precise orbit.

By studying a large number of orbital simulations, however, the researchers were able to arrive at a statistical distribution of possible outcomes.

&quot;Each time it passes Earth, the car will get a gravitational kick,&quot; said Dan Tamayo, a postdoctoral fellow at University of Toronto.

&quot;Depending on the details of these encounters, the Tesla can be kicked onto a wider or smaller orbit, so it&#39;s random,&quot; Tamayo said.

&quot;Over time the orbit will undergo what&#39;s called a random walk, similar to the fluctuations we see in the stock market, that will allow it to wander the inner solar system,&quot; he said.

While they only ran simulations for the first three million years of its space journey, the most likely outcome for the Tesla is for it to crash into Earth or Venus in the next 10 million years or so.

&quot;Although we are not able to tell on which planet the car will ultimately end up, we&#39;re comfortable saying it won&#39;t survive in space for more than a few tens of millions of years,&quot; he said.

While the car&#39;s likely final destination is Earth, they note there&#39;s nothing to fear since much or all of it will likely burn up in the atmosphere.&nbsp;

'But there's no need to panic since the probability of that happening even within the next million years is very small,' say the experts

Elon Musk's car that was recently shot into space as part of SpaceX's rocket test flight will likely collide with Earth or Venus eventually, scientists say. "It will likely end up colliding with Earth or Venus, but there's no need to panic since the probability of that happening even within the next million years is very small," said Hanno Rein, an assistant professor at University of Toronto in Canada. Also read: Elon Musk wants to reach Mars. Is it a great idea? The car was sent into space as part of the payload for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy test flight on February 6. While rocket test flights usually have a dummy payload, SpaceX founder Musk sent up his personal Tesla Roadster instead. Also read: SpaceX poised to launch 'world's most powerful rocket' Though the car does not have any scientific instruments on board, it is now classified as a near-earth object, and is being tracked by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory along with other objects that will travel relatively close to Earth. Also read: SpaceX sends a sports car into space with world's most powerful rocket After running a series of simulations using sophisticated software that can track the motion of objects in space, they determined the probability of it colliding with Earth and Venus over the next one million years to be six per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively. Also read: Musk's Tesla overshoots Mars orbit They also determined that the first close encounter the Tesla will have with us will be in 2091, when it will pass within a few hundred thousand kilometres of Earth. The car is currently on a Mars and Earth crossing orbit, meaning it will travel on an elliptical path that repeatedly carries it beyond Mars and then back to Earth's orbital distance from the sun. How the car's orbit evolves over time will depend a lot on its encounters with Earth, especially how close it will get to Earth since any small change in its trajectory could have a large effect on its orbit. While the path of the car can be accurately predicted in terms of years, after hundreds of years and many close encounters with Earth it becomes impossible to predict the object's precise orbit. By studying a large number of orbital simulations, however, the researchers were able to arrive at a statistical distribution of possible outcomes. "Each time it passes Earth, the car will get a gravitational kick," said Dan Tamayo, a postdoctoral fellow at University of Toronto. "Depending on the details of these encounters, the Tesla can be kicked onto a wider or smaller orbit, so it's random," Tamayo said. "Over time the orbit will undergo what's called a random walk, similar to the fluctuations we see in the stock market, that will allow it to wander the inner solar system," he said. While they only ran simulations for the first three million years of its space journey, the most likely outcome for the Tesla is for it to crash into Earth or Venus in the next 10 million years or so. "Although we are not able to tell on which planet the car will ultimately end up, we're comfortable saying it won't survive in space for more than a few tens of millions of years," he said. While the car's likely final destination is Earth, they note there's nothing to fear since much or all of it will likely burn up in the atmosphere.

Musk's car shot into space likely to collide with Earth

After Elon Musk&rsquo;s Tesla Roadster was successfully mounted atop SpaceX&rsquo;s Falcon Heavy and launched into space, the vehicle is now reported to have travelled farther out into the Solar System.

Musk&#39;s&nbsp;Tesla Roadster was originally supposed to be around the Sun and travel to the Mars&nbsp;orbit. The rocket carrying the car is reported to have overshot the trajectory going on to an orbit that extends beyond the Mars&nbsp;path.&nbsp;

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Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt. <a href="https://t.co/bKhRN73WHF">pic.twitter.com/bKhRN73WHF</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/961083704230674438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the vehicle may make it to the asteroid belt.

Musk had previously noted that there were slim chances of the car-carrying rocket to hit the Red Planet.&nbsp;

Tesla Roadster will be at its closest to Mars in October of 2020.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Be6VZEzgAEk/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Last pic of Starman in Roadster enroute to Mars orbit and then the Asteroid Belt</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elonmusk/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Elon Musk</a> (@elonmusk) on <time datetime="2018-02-07T22:00:57+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 7, 2018 at 2:00pm PST</time>
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Falcon Heavy, touted as the world&#39;s most powerful rocket in operation, is also one of Elon Musk&#39;s most ambitious projects.&nbsp;

The spacecraft is expected to ferry people to the moon or Mars in future.&nbsp;

Musk had previously noted that there were slim chances of the vehicle to hit the Red Planet

After Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster was successfully mounted atop SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and launched into space, the vehicle is now reported to have travelled farther out into the Solar System. Musk's Tesla Roadster was originally supposed to be around the Sun and travel to the Mars orbit. The rocket carrying the car is reported to have overshot the trajectory going on to an orbit that extends beyond the Mars path. Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt. pic.twitter.com/bKhRN73WHF — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2018 × According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the vehicle may make it to the asteroid belt. Musk had previously noted that there were slim chances of the car-carrying rocket to hit the Red Planet. Tesla Roadster will be at its closest to Mars in October of 2020. Last pic of Starman in Roadster enroute to Mars orbit and then the Asteroid Belt A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Feb 7, 2018 at 2:00pm PST × Falcon Heavy, touted as the world's most powerful rocket in operation, is also one of Elon Musk's most ambitious projects. The spacecraft is expected to ferry people to the moon or Mars in future.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch: Musk's Tesla overshoots Mars orbit

The world&#39;s most powerful rocket, SpaceX&#39;s Falcon Heavy, roared into space through clear blue skies in its debut test flight on Tuesday from a Florida launch site where moon missions once began, in another milestone for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk&#39;s private rocket company.

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The 23-story-tall jumbo rocket, carrying a cherry red Tesla Roadster automobile into space as a mock payload, thundered off its launchpad in billowing clouds of steam and rocket exhaust at 3:45 pm (2045 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.

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&nbsp;

Boisterous cheering could be heard from SpaceX workers at the company&#39;s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, where a livestream feed of the event originated. Several hundred spectators packed a campground near Cocoa Beach, 5 miles (8 km) from the space centre, to watch the blastoff.

Musk previously said one of the most critical points of the flight would come as two side boosters separated from the central rocket within three minutes of launch. That occurred seemingly without a hitch.

Then, capitalizing on cost-cutting reusable rocket technology pioneered by SpaceX, the two side boosters flew themselves back to Earth for safe simultaneous touchdowns on twin landing pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station about eight minutes after launch. The centre booster was expected for a return landing on a drone ship floating at sea, but its fate was not immediately known.

Musk told reporters on the eve of the rocket&#39;s test flight that he would &quot;consider it a win if it just clears the (launch) pad.&quot;

While the Falcon Heavy&#39;s initial performance appeared, by all accounts, to have been near flawless, it remained to be seen whether the upper stage of the vehicle and its payload would survive a six-hour &quot;cruise&quot; phase to high Earth orbit through the planet&#39;s radiation belts.

Turning point

The launch, so powerful that it shook the walls of the press trailer at the complex, was conducted from the same site used by NASA&#39;s towering Saturn 5 rockets to carry Apollo missions to the moon more than 40 years ago. SpaceX has said it aspires to send missions to Mars in the coming years.

The successful liftoff was a key turning point for Musk&#39;s privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, which stands to gain a new edge over the handful of rivals vying for lucrative contracts with NASA, satellite companies and the US military.

Falcon Heavy is designed to place up to 70 tons into standard low-Earth orbit at a cost of $90 million per launch. That is twice the lift capacity of the biggest existing rocket in America&#39;s space fleet - the Delta 4 Heavy of rival United Launch Alliance (ULA), a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co - for about a fourth the cost.

The demonstration flight put the Falcon Heavy into the annals of spaceflight as the world&#39;s most powerful rocket in operation, with more lift capacity than any space vehicle to fly since NASA&#39;s Saturn 5, which was retired in 1973, or the Soviet-era Energia, which flew its last mission in 1988.

Propelled by 27 rocket engines, the Falcon Heavy packs more than 5 million pounds of thrust at launch, roughly three times the force of the Falcon 9 booster rocket that until now has been the workhorse of the SpaceX fleet. The new heavy-lift rocket is essentially constructed from three Falcon 9s harnessed together side by side.

Going along for the ride in a bit of playful cross-promotional space theatre was the sleek red, electric-powered sports car from the assembly line of Musk&#39;s other transportation enterprise, Tesla Inc.

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View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth. <a href="https://t.co/QljN2VnL1O">pic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/960992715579125760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Tesla Roadster is supposed to be sent into a virtually indefinite solar orbit, on a path taking it as far from Earth as Mars. Adding to the whimsy, SpaceX has planted a space-suited mannequin in the driver&#39;s seat of the convertible.

Whether the car makes it onto its planned trajectory will not be known before late on Tuesday, SpaceX said. The roadster, which carries a plaque inscribed with the names of more than 6,000 SpaceX employees, could instead end up in Earth orbit.

The launch followed an impressive run of successful paid missions - 20 in all since January 2017, when SpaceX returned to flight following a 2016 launchpad accident that destroyed a $62 million rocket and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite that it was to put into orbit two days later.

SpaceX had previously announced plans to eventually use the Falcon Heavy to launch two paying space tourists on a trip around the moon and back. Musk said on Monday he was now inclined to reserve that mission for development of an even more powerful SpaceX launch system, the Big Falcon Rocket, or BFR, which he said was proceeding more quickly than expected.

The maiden flight also marked the first time a privately financed rocket ever attempted to boost a payload out of Earth's orbit

The world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, roared into space through clear blue skies in its debut test flight on Tuesday from a Florida launch site where moon missions once began, in another milestone for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's private rocket company. × The 23-story-tall jumbo rocket, carrying a cherry red Tesla Roadster automobile into space as a mock payload, thundered off its launchpad in billowing clouds of steam and rocket exhaust at 3:45 pm (2045 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. × Boisterous cheering could be heard from SpaceX workers at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, where a livestream feed of the event originated. Several hundred spectators packed a campground near Cocoa Beach, 5 miles (8 km) from the space centre, to watch the blastoff. Musk previously said one of the most critical points of the flight would come as two side boosters separated from the central rocket within three minutes of launch. That occurred seemingly without a hitch. Then, capitalizing on cost-cutting reusable rocket technology pioneered by SpaceX, the two side boosters flew themselves back to Earth for safe simultaneous touchdowns on twin landing pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station about eight minutes after launch. The centre booster was expected for a return landing on a drone ship floating at sea, but its fate was not immediately known. Musk told reporters on the eve of the rocket's test flight that he would "consider it a win if it just clears the (launch) pad." While the Falcon Heavy's initial performance appeared, by all accounts, to have been near flawless, it remained to be seen whether the upper stage of the vehicle and its payload would survive a six-hour "cruise" phase to high Earth orbit through the planet's radiation belts. Turning point The launch, so powerful that it shook the walls of the press trailer at the complex, was conducted from the same site used by NASA's towering Saturn 5 rockets to carry Apollo missions to the moon more than 40 years ago. SpaceX has said it aspires to send missions to Mars in the coming years. The successful liftoff was a key turning point for Musk's privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, which stands to gain a new edge over the handful of rivals vying for lucrative contracts with NASA, satellite companies and the US military. Falcon Heavy is designed to place up to 70 tons into standard low-Earth orbit at a cost of $90 million per launch. That is twice the lift capacity of the biggest existing rocket in America's space fleet - the Delta 4 Heavy of rival United Launch Alliance (ULA), a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co - for about a fourth the cost. The demonstration flight put the Falcon Heavy into the annals of spaceflight as the world's most powerful rocket in operation, with more lift capacity than any space vehicle to fly since NASA's Saturn 5, which was retired in 1973, or the Soviet-era Energia, which flew its last mission in 1988. Propelled by 27 rocket engines, the Falcon Heavy packs more than 5 million pounds of thrust at launch, roughly three times the force of the Falcon 9 booster rocket that until now has been the workhorse of the SpaceX fleet. The new heavy-lift rocket is essentially constructed from three Falcon 9s harnessed together side by side. Going along for the ride in a bit of playful cross-promotional space theatre was the sleek red, electric-powered sports car from the assembly line of Musk's other transportation enterprise, Tesla Inc. View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth. pic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018 × The Tesla Roadster is supposed to be sent into a virtually indefinite solar orbit, on a path taking it as far from Earth as Mars. Adding to the whimsy, SpaceX has planted a space-suited mannequin in the driver's seat of the convertible. Whether the car makes it onto its planned trajectory will not be known before late on Tuesday, SpaceX said. The roadster, which carries a plaque inscribed with the names of more than 6,000 SpaceX employees, could instead end up in Earth orbit. The launch followed an impressive run of successful paid missions - 20 in all since January 2017, when SpaceX returned to flight following a 2016 launchpad accident that destroyed a $62 million rocket and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite that it was to put into orbit two days later. SpaceX had previously announced plans to eventually use the Falcon Heavy to launch two paying space tourists on a trip around the moon and back. Musk said on Monday he was now inclined to reserve that mission for development of an even more powerful SpaceX launch system, the Big Falcon Rocket, or BFR, which he said was proceeding more quickly than expected.

Watch: SpaceX sends a sports car into space with world's most powerful rocket

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The bill seeks to divert the money for infrastructure projects in the United States.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/two-killed-over-200-injured-in-64-magnitude-taiwan-earthquake-32045">2 killed, over 200 injured in 6.4-magnitude Taiwan earthquake</a>

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near the coastal city of Hualien in Taiwan late on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey&nbsp;said. 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-biggest-rocket-spacexs-falcon-heavy-soars-toward-mars-after-perfect-launch-32050">SpaceX sends a sports car into space with world&#39;s most powerful rocket</a>

The world&#39;s most powerful rocket, SpaceX&#39;s Falcon Heavy, roared into space through clear blue skies in its debut test flight on Tuesday.

&nbsp;

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US President Donald Trump has asked for a military parade to showcase American muscle and underscore his role as commander-in-chief.

&nbsp;

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Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne will kickstart last tour of his life this spring but will continue performing gigs around the world, he confirmed.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near the coastal city of Hualien in Taiwan late on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said.

US House of Representatives moves bill to end 'non-defence aid' to Pakistan The bill seeks to divert the money for infrastructure projects in the United States. 2 killed, over 200 injured in 6.4-magnitude Taiwan earthquake A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near the coastal city of Hualien in Taiwan late on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said. SpaceX sends a sports car into space with world's most powerful rocket The world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, roared into space through clear blue skies in its debut test flight on Tuesday. Trump tells Pentagon to plan military parade US President Donald Trump has asked for a military parade to showcase American muscle and underscore his role as commander-in-chief. Prepping for 'No More Tours 2' in spring, Ozzy Osbourne says 'I'm not retiring Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne will kickstart last tour of his life this spring but will continue performing gigs around the world, he confirmed.

WION Morning News brief, February 7, 2018

SpaceX is poised for the first test launch Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world&#39;s most powerful rocket, capable of ferrying people to the Moon or Mars some day.

No people are on board, just a mannequin wearing a futuristic spacesuit, strapped into CEO Elon Musk&#39;s very own cherry red Tesla car.&nbsp;

&quot;Starman in a Red Roadster,&quot; Musk posted on Instagram Monday, showing the rocket&#39;s payload on a pedestal, aiming skyward.

The blast-off is scheduled for 1:30 pm (1830 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The destination is deep space, into an orbit about the same distance from the Sun as Mars -- but not all that close to the Red Planet itself.

Musk has cautioned that the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy may indeed fail.

&quot;Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn&#39;t blow up on ascent,&quot; Musk, said on Twitter in December.

But the test launch could be a game-changer for SpaceX -- already a top cargo supplier to the International Space Station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA -- as it seeks to gain a bigger piece of the commercial space market.

The launch is also a milestone in US-based efforts to send astronauts to space, a capacity lost when the US space shuttle program was retired in 2011.

Since then, the world&#39;s astronauts have relied on Russian Soyuz rockets for transport to the International Space Station.

Most powerful in operation&nbsp;

&quot;Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars,&quot; SpaceX said in a statement.

&quot;When Falcon Heavy lifts off, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two,&quot; it added.

&quot;Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost.&quot;

The Delta IV Heavy costs about $350 million per launch, according to United Launch Alliance.&nbsp;

The Falcon Heavy is essentially three Falcon 9 rockets in one, with a total of 27 Merlin engines.

These engines &quot;together generate more than five million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft,&quot; said SpaceX.&nbsp;

The rocket is designed to carry nearly 141,000 pounds (64 metric tons) into orbit, more than the mass of a fully loaded 737 jetliner.

Previous rockets that are no longer in commission have been more powerful than the Falcon Heavy -- including the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, which delivered more payload to orbit.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

No people are on board, just a mannequin wearing a futuristic spacesuit

SpaceX is poised for the first test launch Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world's most powerful rocket, capable of ferrying people to the Moon or Mars some day. No people are on board, just a mannequin wearing a futuristic spacesuit, strapped into CEO Elon Musk's very own cherry red Tesla car. "Starman in a Red Roadster," Musk posted on Instagram Monday, showing the rocket's payload on a pedestal, aiming skyward. The blast-off is scheduled for 1:30 pm (1830 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The destination is deep space, into an orbit about the same distance from the Sun as Mars -- but not all that close to the Red Planet itself. Musk has cautioned that the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy may indeed fail. "Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn't blow up on ascent," Musk, said on Twitter in December. But the test launch could be a game-changer for SpaceX -- already a top cargo supplier to the International Space Station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA -- as it seeks to gain a bigger piece of the commercial space market. The launch is also a milestone in US-based efforts to send astronauts to space, a capacity lost when the US space shuttle program was retired in 2011. Since then, the world's astronauts have relied on Russian Soyuz rockets for transport to the International Space Station. Most powerful in operation "Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars," SpaceX said in a statement. "When Falcon Heavy lifts off, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two," it added. "Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost." The Delta IV Heavy costs about $350 million per launch, according to United Launch Alliance. The Falcon Heavy is essentially three Falcon 9 rockets in one, with a total of 27 Merlin engines. These engines "together generate more than five million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft," said SpaceX. The rocket is designed to carry nearly 141,000 pounds (64 metric tons) into orbit, more than the mass of a fully loaded 737 jetliner. Previous rockets that are no longer in commission have been more powerful than the Falcon Heavy -- including the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, which delivered more payload to orbit.

SpaceX poised to launch 'world's most powerful rocket'

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk plans to blast off his own Tesla roadster Tuesday, atop the world&#39;s most powerful rocket in operation, the Falcon Heavy, to the tune of David Bowie&#39;s &quot;Space Oddity.&quot;&nbsp;

Here are some of the other far-out space projects that Musk has cooked up in recent years.

Reusable rockets&nbsp;

To bring down the cost of spaceflight and boost efficiency, a key goal for Musk is to make rockets as re-usable as commercial airplanes, instead of tossing the multi-million dollar components after each launch.&nbsp;

After some early crashes and near-misses that prompted SpaceX to showcase them in a blooper reel, the company has now perfected the art of firing the booster&#39;s engines, maneuvering the grid fins and neatly landing the tall portion of the rockets upright on solid ground and on ocean platforms.

Musk&#39;s not the only one to have done it -- competitor Blue Origin, a rocket company run by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, has also managed to land its own rockets in a similar fashion.

But no one has done it so many times. SpaceX has landed 21 of its Falcon 9 boosters so far.

Colonizing Mars&nbsp;

Musk wants to make humans an &quot;interplanetary species&quot; by establishing a colony of people living on the Mars.&nbsp;

Riding on reusable rockets and spaceships -- still under development -- people could travel 100 at a time to the Red Planet.&nbsp;

The idea is to bring up to a million people to Mars in the next century. Test flights could start in the next decade.

The cost to develop the rocket and spacecraft is estimated at $10 billion.

&nbsp;BFR&nbsp;

SpaceX is calling the rocket that would carry all these people to Mars &quot;BFR,&quot; which Musk has jokingly -- or not -- referred to as code for &quot;Big F-ing Rocket.&quot;&nbsp;

According to Spacenews.com, its formal name is now understood to be &quot;Big Falcon Rocket.&quot;

The idea is to have one booster and ship that replaces three of SpaceX&#39;s signature projects -- the Falcon 9 rocket which blasts off the Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station, the Falcon Heavy which aims to be the world&#39;s most powerful rocket for now, and may one day ferry supplies to Mars.

The BFR is designed to stand 106 meters tall, with 10.8 million pounds of thrust, far more than the Saturn V moon rocket at 7.9 million pounds of thrust.&nbsp;

The first tests could come as early 2019, with orbital tests in 2020.

The first cargo shipments could make it to Mars in 2022, SpaceX has said.

Rockets on Earth &nbsp;

New York to Shanghai via rocket in 39 minutes? It&#39;s all part of Musk&#39;s vision for rocket travel on Earth.

The BFR will be the vehicle, Musk has vowed, to fly to most places on Earth in under 30 mins and anywhere in under 60.

The cost per seat would be about the same as an airplane economy fare, he said.

Cargo and crew to space&nbsp;

It&#39;s seems like old news now, but SpaceX made history in 2010 by becoming the first private company to send its own spaceship to orbit and recover it.

In 2012, SpaceX broke barriers again, sending its Dragon cargo ship to the orbiting International Space Station.

That same year, SpaceX began regular cargo missions to supply the astronauts living in space with its gum-drop shaped Dragon cargo ship, launched atop the Falcon 9 rocket, under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA.

Orbital ATK also sends its unmanned Cygnus cargo carrier to the ISS under a $1.9 billion deal with NASA.&nbsp;

SpaceX&#39;s Dragon is the only ship that can be returned to Earth intact. The Cygnus burns up on re-entry to Earth&#39;s atmosphere.

SpaceX is developing a crew Dragon vehicle that will be able to transport several astronauts at a time to the space lab. Its first manned flight could come later this year. 
&nbsp;

SpaceX will launch the world's most powerful rocket Tuesday, with a car strapped on top and David Bowie's Space Oddity playing in the background

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk plans to blast off his own Tesla roadster Tuesday, atop the world's most powerful rocket in operation, the Falcon Heavy, to the tune of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." Here are some of the other far-out space projects that Musk has cooked up in recent years. Reusable rockets To bring down the cost of spaceflight and boost efficiency, a key goal for Musk is to make rockets as re-usable as commercial airplanes, instead of tossing the multi-million dollar components after each launch. After some early crashes and near-misses that prompted SpaceX to showcase them in a blooper reel, the company has now perfected the art of firing the booster's engines, maneuvering the grid fins and neatly landing the tall portion of the rockets upright on solid ground and on ocean platforms. Musk's not the only one to have done it -- competitor Blue Origin, a rocket company run by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, has also managed to land its own rockets in a similar fashion. But no one has done it so many times. SpaceX has landed 21 of its Falcon 9 boosters so far. Colonizing Mars Musk wants to make humans an "interplanetary species" by establishing a colony of people living on the Mars. Riding on reusable rockets and spaceships -- still under development -- people could travel 100 at a time to the Red Planet. The idea is to bring up to a million people to Mars in the next century. Test flights could start in the next decade. The cost to develop the rocket and spacecraft is estimated at $10 billion. BFR SpaceX is calling the rocket that would carry all these people to Mars "BFR," which Musk has jokingly -- or not -- referred to as code for "Big F-ing Rocket." According to Spacenews.com, its formal name is now understood to be "Big Falcon Rocket." The idea is to have one booster and ship that replaces three of SpaceX's signature projects -- the Falcon 9 rocket which blasts off the Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station, the Falcon Heavy which aims to be the world's most powerful rocket for now, and may one day ferry supplies to Mars. The BFR is designed to stand 106 meters tall, with 10.8 million pounds of thrust, far more than the Saturn V moon rocket at 7.9 million pounds of thrust. The first tests could come as early 2019, with orbital tests in 2020. The first cargo shipments could make it to Mars in 2022, SpaceX has said. Rockets on Earth New York to Shanghai via rocket in 39 minutes? It's all part of Musk's vision for rocket travel on Earth. The BFR will be the vehicle, Musk has vowed, to fly to most places on Earth in under 30 mins and anywhere in under 60. The cost per seat would be about the same as an airplane economy fare, he said. Cargo and crew to space It's seems like old news now, but SpaceX made history in 2010 by becoming the first private company to send its own spaceship to orbit and recover it. In 2012, SpaceX broke barriers again, sending its Dragon cargo ship to the orbiting International Space Station. That same year, SpaceX began regular cargo missions to supply the astronauts living in space with its gum-drop shaped Dragon cargo ship, launched atop the Falcon 9 rocket, under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. Orbital ATK also sends its unmanned Cygnus cargo carrier to the ISS under a $1.9 billion deal with NASA. SpaceX's Dragon is the only ship that can be returned to Earth intact. The Cygnus burns up on re-entry to Earth's atmosphere. SpaceX is developing a crew Dragon vehicle that will be able to transport several astronauts at a time to the space lab. Its first manned flight could come later this year.

Five things to know about Elon Musk's space projects

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying into orbit a Luxembourg-made communications satellite designed in part to expand NATO`s surveillance reach and its capability to deter cyber attacks on alliance members.

The liftoff at 4:25 p.m. EST (2125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station followed a technical glitch that prompted a 24-hour flight delay. It marked the second rocket launch this year for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his privately owned Space Exploration Technologies.

It comes a week before the California-based company is slated to conduct its highly anticipated first test flight of the much larger and more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which packs three times the thrust of the Falcon 9.

Wednesday`s payload is a communications satellite built for LuxGovSat S.A., a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES, in part to fulfil that nation`s growing defence obligations to NATO.

The so-called GovSat-1 satellite will provide, among other things, greater cyber protection for Luxembourg`s European Union partners and NATO allies, including the United States, Luxembourg Defense Minister Etienne Schneider told a news conference on Tuesday.

GovSat-1 also will serve civilian telecommunications security functions.

Thirty-four minutes after liftoff, the satellite was successfully released into orbit 22,370 miles(36,000 km) above the equator, where it will circle the Earth for 15 years, according to SpaceX.

A spokesman for Schneider said the $279 million satellite, which weighs about 4-1/2 tons, is part of a broader policy of doubling the country`s contributions to NATO.

Citing new security threats, a senior NATO official told Reuters in March that the alliance planned to spend more than $3 billion on defence technology, a third of which would go toward satellite communications.&nbsp;

Unlike many recent SpaceX launches, no attempt was made to retrieve the rocket`s reusable main-stage because the SES satellite had to be carried to a higher Earth orbit, leaving the booster without sufficient fuel to fly back to Earth for a return landing.

The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government.

&nbsp;

The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying into orbit a Luxembourg-made communications satellite designed in part to expand NATO`s surveillance reach and its capability to deter cyber attacks on alliance members. The liftoff at 4:25 p.m. EST (2125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station followed a technical glitch that prompted a 24-hour flight delay. It marked the second rocket launch this year for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his privately owned Space Exploration Technologies. It comes a week before the California-based company is slated to conduct its highly anticipated first test flight of the much larger and more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which packs three times the thrust of the Falcon 9. Wednesday`s payload is a communications satellite built for LuxGovSat S.A., a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES, in part to fulfil that nation`s growing defence obligations to NATO. The so-called GovSat-1 satellite will provide, among other things, greater cyber protection for Luxembourg`s European Union partners and NATO allies, including the United States, Luxembourg Defense Minister Etienne Schneider told a news conference on Tuesday. GovSat-1 also will serve civilian telecommunications security functions. Thirty-four minutes after liftoff, the satellite was successfully released into orbit 22,370 miles(36,000 km) above the equator, where it will circle the Earth for 15 years, according to SpaceX. A spokesman for Schneider said the $279 million satellite, which weighs about 4-1/2 tons, is part of a broader policy of doubling the country`s contributions to NATO. Citing new security threats, a senior NATO official told Reuters in March that the alliance planned to spend more than $3 billion on defence technology, a third of which would go toward satellite communications. Unlike many recent SpaceX launches, no attempt was made to retrieve the rocket`s reusable main-stage because the SES satellite had to be carried to a higher Earth orbit, leaving the booster without sufficient fuel to fly back to Earth for a return landing. The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government.

SpaceX rocket launches Luxembourg satellite for NATO

The fate of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-classified-military-payload-3208">Falcon 9 rocket powered by </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-classified-military-payload-3208">EIon</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-classified-military-payload-3208"> Musk&#39;s SpaceX</a> which blasted into space on Sunday is unknown after US officials refused to confirm if they had lost contact with the military satellite.

US media widely reported this week that the rocket was probably lost even as US spokesmen in the Pentagon declined to comment due to the &quot;classified&quot; nature of the mission.

&quot;I would have to refer you to SpaceX, who conducted the launch,&quot; Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.

Another spokesman, &nbsp;Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie flatly refused to give any information, saying: &quot;I&#39;m done. We&#39;re not going to be able to give you any more information.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The secret Zuma spacecraft&nbsp;was scheduled to take off in November but was delayed for nearly two-months both the US government or SpaceX revealed anything about the &quot;classified&quot; spacecraft from the beginning, but as speculation has mounted over its disappearance in space the US government officials have become even more tight-lipped about the top secret mission.

SpaceX has launched national security payloads in the past, including a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, and an X-37B space plane for the US Air Force. 
&nbsp;

US media widely reported this week that the rocket was probably lost even as US spokesmen in the Pentagon declined to comment

The fate of Falcon 9 rocket powered by EIon Musk's SpaceX which blasted into space on Sunday is unknown after US officials refused to confirm if they had lost contact with the military satellite. US media widely reported this week that the rocket was probably lost even as US spokesmen in the Pentagon declined to comment due to the "classified" nature of the mission. "I would have to refer you to SpaceX, who conducted the launch," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said. Another spokesman, Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie flatly refused to give any information, saying: "I'm done. We're not going to be able to give you any more information." The secret Zuma spacecraft was scheduled to take off in November but was delayed for nearly two-months both the US government or SpaceX revealed anything about the "classified" spacecraft from the beginning, but as speculation has mounted over its disappearance in space the US government officials have become even more tight-lipped about the top secret mission. SpaceX has launched national security payloads in the past, including a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, and an X-37B space plane for the US Air Force.

US government's SpaceX-powered Zuma spacecraft may be lost: Report

Elon Musk-led SpaceX today launched&nbsp;the secret Zuma spacecraft for the US government.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-beats-deadline-for-building-worlds-biggest-battery-25019">The launch which was scheduled to</a> take place in November finally happened after nearly a two-month delay on Sunday night.

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Falcon 9 first stage has landed at Landing Zone 1. <a href="https://t.co/679wN4F8kX">pic.twitter.com/679wN4F8kX</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/950172552642482176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Team at the Cape completed additional propellant-loading tests today,&quot; SpaceX said.

Neither the US government or SpaceX has revealed anything about the &quot;classified&quot; spacecraft.

Zuma lifted off atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from Florida&#39;s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.&nbsp;

An elated Musk tweeted:

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Falcon 9 first stage has landed at Landing Zone 1. <a href="https://t.co/679wN4F8kX">pic.twitter.com/679wN4F8kX</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/950172552642482176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0PWu3BRxn60" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

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Neither the US government or SpaceX has revealed anything about the spacecraft.

Elon Musk-led SpaceX today launched the secret Zuma spacecraft for the US government. The launch which was scheduled to take place in November finally happened after nearly a two-month delay on Sunday night. Falcon 9 first stage has landed at Landing Zone 1. pic.twitter.com/679wN4F8kX — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 8, 2018 × "Team at the Cape completed additional propellant-loading tests today," SpaceX said. Neither the US government or SpaceX has revealed anything about the "classified" spacecraft. Zuma lifted off atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. An elated Musk tweeted: Falcon 9 first stage has landed at Landing Zone 1. pic.twitter.com/679wN4F8kX — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 8, 2018 ×

Watch: SpaceX launches 'secret' US spacecraft Zuma

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-imposes-new-sanctions-against-north-korea-trump-hails-decision-27503">UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision</a>

The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-threats-against-pakistan-can-negatively-affect-relations-ispr-chief-major-general-ghafoor-27505">US threats against Pakistan can &#39;negatively&#39; affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor</a>

Ghafoor&#39;s statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/man-held-over-christmas-attack-plot-in-san-francisco-fbi-27499">Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI</a>

US Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-spacex-successfully-deploys-10-satellites-into-low-earth-orbit-27507">Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit</a>

EIon&nbsp;Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth&#39;s orbit.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/34-trains-late-15-cancelled-due-to-low-visibility-in-delhi-27506">34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi</a>

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month. US threats against Pakistan can 'negatively' affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice. Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI US Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group. Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit EIon Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth's orbit. 34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

WION morning news brief, December 23, 2017

EIon Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space&nbsp;with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into&nbsp;earth&#39;s orbit.

SpaceX said it had successfully installed 10 Iridium NEXT satellites into&nbsp;low-earth orbit.&nbsp;

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Here&rsquo;s the video. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spacex?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#spacex</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IridiumNEXT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IridiumNEXT</a> <a href="https://t.co/mnVKrPjCcB">pic.twitter.com/mnVKrPjCcB</a>
&mdash; Amanda (@alias_amanda) <a href="https://twitter.com/alias_amanda/status/944385482749706240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Successful deployment of 10 <a href="https://twitter.com/IridiumComm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IridiumComm</a> NEXT satellites to low-Earth orbit confirmed. <a href="https://t.co/CTtvPYNgMA">pic.twitter.com/CTtvPYNgMA</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/944397579369955328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The company added that Iridium had received &quot;healthy signals&quot; from all 10 satellites.

The Falcon 9 rocket which took off from Vandenberg Air Base in California on Friday will be pulling off the largest &quot;tech upgrades&quot; in history.

&quot;The process of replacing the satellites one-by-one in a constellation of this size and scale has never been completed before,&quot; SpaceX said in a statement.

An excited Musk followed the launch on Twitter, declaring &quot;launch underway&quot; as his company set a new record in space.

&nbsp;

SpaceX said Iridium had received "healthy signals" from all 10 satellites

EIon Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth's orbit. SpaceX said it had successfully installed 10 Iridium NEXT satellites into low-earth orbit. Here’s the video. #spacex #IridiumNEXT pic.twitter.com/mnVKrPjCcB — Amanda (@alias_amanda) December 23, 2017 × Successful deployment of 10 @IridiumComm NEXT satellites to low-Earth orbit confirmed. pic.twitter.com/CTtvPYNgMA — SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 23, 2017 × The company added that Iridium had received "healthy signals" from all 10 satellites. The Falcon 9 rocket which took off from Vandenberg Air Base in California on Friday will be pulling off the largest "tech upgrades" in history. "The process of replacing the satellites one-by-one in a constellation of this size and scale has never been completed before," SpaceX said in a statement. An excited Musk followed the launch on Twitter, declaring "launch underway" as his company set a new record in space.

Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit

American aerospace manufacturer Space Exploration Technologies Corp., will launch its 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, NASA this Friday. SpaceX has have attempted several attempts earlier this month.

According to NASA, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be carrying a Dragon spacecraft which will be attached to the space station for about a month. The spacecraft will carry roughly 4,800 pounds of cargo including science and research equipment along with crew supplies.

The mission is aimS at carrying out investigations vital to lower the risk to human life and critical hardware by orbital debris, NASA said.

The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida

American aerospace manufacturer Space Exploration Technologies Corp., will launch its 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, NASA this Friday. SpaceX has have attempted several attempts earlier this month. According to NASA, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be carrying a Dragon spacecraft which will be attached to the space station for about a month. The spacecraft will carry roughly 4,800 pounds of cargo including science and research equipment along with crew supplies. The mission is aimS at carrying out investigations vital to lower the risk to human life and critical hardware by orbital debris, NASA said. The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

SpaceX cargo mission to International Space Station to launch today

Amazon.com Inc&rsquo;s Chinese partner, Beijing Sinnet Technology Co., said it would purchase Amazon&rsquo;s Chinese web services business for up to 2 billion yuan ($301 million), ending the U.S. firms&rsquo;s cloud-computing business in the country.Sinnet, which began operating the Amazon services in August 2016, said in a filing late on Monday the pending purchase would help the unit &ldquo;comply with local laws and regulations and further improve service quality and security.&rdquo;

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday morning.

Chinese regulators are tightening rules on foreign data and cloud services, including new surveillance measures and increased scrutiny of cross-border data transfers.

In August Sinnet told customers it would begin shutting down VPNs and other services on its networks that allow users to circumvent China&rsquo;s Great Firewall, citing direct instructions from the government.

The changes are linked to new national cyber laws that came into effect in 2017, which make network providers liable for content deemed dangerous or offensive to &ldquo;socialist values&rdquo;.

In 2013 Amazon&rsquo;s web services business signed agreements with provincial governments in China, and has previously worked with some of China&rsquo;s largest tech firms including Xiaomi Inc, Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd and Kingsoft Corp Ltd.

Cloud services have become a crowded and competitive field in China in recent years, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd&rsquo;s cloud unit opening over a dozen overseas data centers since 2016.

($1 = 6.6400 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Virgin Hyperloop One will push for pod-based super-fast transportation to improve economic competitiveness, reduce congestion and emissions

Amazon.com Inc’s Chinese partner, Beijing Sinnet Technology Co., said it would purchase Amazon’s Chinese web services business for up to 2 billion yuan ($301 million), ending the U.S. firms’s cloud-computing business in the country.Sinnet, which began operating the Amazon services in August 2016, said in a filing late on Monday the pending purchase would help the unit “comply with local laws and regulations and further improve service quality and security.” Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday morning. Chinese regulators are tightening rules on foreign data and cloud services, including new surveillance measures and increased scrutiny of cross-border data transfers. In August Sinnet told customers it would begin shutting down VPNs and other services on its networks that allow users to circumvent China’s Great Firewall, citing direct instructions from the government. The changes are linked to new national cyber laws that came into effect in 2017, which make network providers liable for content deemed dangerous or offensive to “socialist values”. In 2013 Amazon’s web services business signed agreements with provincial governments in China, and has previously worked with some of China’s largest tech firms including Xiaomi Inc, Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd and Kingsoft Corp Ltd. Cloud services have become a crowded and competitive field in China in recent years, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s cloud unit opening over a dozen overseas data centers since 2016. ($1 = 6.6400 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Virgin Hyperloop one project in Maharashtra: Mumbai to Pune in 14 minutes

Futurist and inventor&nbsp;Elon&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;unveiled ambitious plans Friday to send cargo ships to Mars in five years and use rockets to carry people between Earth&#39;s major cities in under half-an-hour.

The founder of SpaceX said a planned interplanetary transport system, codenamed BFR (Big Fucking Rocket), would be downsized so it could carry out a range of tasks that would then pay for future Mars missions.

&quot;The most important thing&nbsp;is that I think we have figured out how to pay for (BFR),&quot;&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;told a packed auditorium at a global gathering of space experts in Adelaide.

&quot;Which is to have a smaller vehicle, it&#39;s still pretty big, but one that can&nbsp;do everything that&#39;s needed in the greater Earth orbit activity.&quot;

Musk&nbsp;said his firm had started building the system, with the construction of the first ship to start in six to nine months.

&quot;I feel fairly confident that we can complete the ship and launch in about five years,&quot; he added.

At least two cargo ships would land on the Red Planet in 2022, with the key mission of finding the best source of water -- currently mooted as a way to power rockets, he said.

The rockets would place power, mining and life-support infrastructure on Mars to support future missions, with four ships set to take people, equipment and supplies to the planet in 2024.

The trips would be funded by a range of activities, including launching satellites, servicing the space station and lunar missions, he said.

Musk&nbsp;added that the rockets should also cater to Earth inhabitants by reducing the travel between major cities to less than half-an-hour.

A trip from Bangkok to Dubai would take 27 minutes, and from Tokyo to Delhi in 30 minutes, according to his calculations.

&quot;Once you are out of the atmosphere, it would be as smooth as silk, no turbulence, nothing,&quot; he said.

&quot;There&#39;s no weather&nbsp;and you can get to most long-distance places in less than half-an-hour. If we are building this thing to go to the Moon and Mars, then why not go to other places on Earth as well.&quot;

The week-long annual International Astronautical Congress, which concluded Friday, has seen government space agencies and private firms outline their plans to send humans to the Moon and Mars in the next few decades.

This included an agreement between Russian space agency Roscosmos and NASA to work on the first lunar space station as part of a programme called the Deep Space Gateway.

A trip from Bangkok to Dubai would take 27 minutes. The inter-city travels will help pay for the Mars mission

Futurist and inventor Elon Musk unveiled ambitious plans Friday to send cargo ships to Mars in five years and use rockets to carry people between Earth's major cities in under half-an-hour. The founder of SpaceX said a planned interplanetary transport system, codenamed BFR (Big Fucking Rocket), would be downsized so it could carry out a range of tasks that would then pay for future Mars missions. "The most important thing is that I think we have figured out how to pay for (BFR)," Musk told a packed auditorium at a global gathering of space experts in Adelaide. "Which is to have a smaller vehicle, it's still pretty big, but one that can do everything that's needed in the greater Earth orbit activity." Musk said his firm had started building the system, with the construction of the first ship to start in six to nine months. "I feel fairly confident that we can complete the ship and launch in about five years," he added. At least two cargo ships would land on the Red Planet in 2022, with the key mission of finding the best source of water -- currently mooted as a way to power rockets, he said. The rockets would place power, mining and life-support infrastructure on Mars to support future missions, with four ships set to take people, equipment and supplies to the planet in 2024. The trips would be funded by a range of activities, including launching satellites, servicing the space station and lunar missions, he said. Musk added that the rockets should also cater to Earth inhabitants by reducing the travel between major cities to less than half-an-hour. A trip from Bangkok to Dubai would take 27 minutes, and from Tokyo to Delhi in 30 minutes, according to his calculations. "Once you are out of the atmosphere, it would be as smooth as silk, no turbulence, nothing," he said. "There's no weather and you can get to most long-distance places in less than half-an-hour. If we are building this thing to go to the Moon and Mars, then why not go to other places on Earth as well." The week-long annual International Astronautical Congress, which concluded Friday, has seen government space agencies and private firms outline their plans to send humans to the Moon and Mars in the next few decades. This included an agreement between Russian space agency Roscosmos and NASA to work on the first lunar space station as part of a programme called the Deep Space Gateway.

Elon Musk wants to land on Mars in 5 yrs, travel from Delhi to Tokyo in 30 mins

SpaceX is poised to launch an unmanned cargo ship toward the International Space Station Monday, including a super-computer that could direct astronauts on future deep-space missions.

The liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo ship, is planned for 12:31 pm (1631 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The weather forecast is 70 per cent favorable for launch.

The mission is the 12th official trip for SpaceX, which has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the astronauts living in orbit over 20 such back-and-forth journeys.

About 10 minutes after launch, the rocket will attempt to make a controlled landing back on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, as part of SpaceX&#39;s ongoing effort to reuse rocket components after each take-off.

If Monday&#39;s launch is delayed for any reason, the next attempt would have to wait until next week, due to a spacewalk planned for Thursday by Russian cosmonauts, who will deploy a series of satellites from the orbiting outpost.

The Dragon is packed with 2,900 kilograms of supplies, including a sophisticated super-computer made by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), called The Spaceborne Computer.

The goal is to test the computer for one year to see if it can operate in the harsh conditions of space, about the same amount of time as it would take for astronauts to arrive at Mars.

As astronauts travel millions of miles away, communications will become increasingly delayed. Messages from Mars to Earth would be delayed from between four minutes to 24 minutes one-way, depending on the distance between the planets, according to the European Space Agency.

&quot;Such a long communication lag would make any on-the-ground exploration challenging and potentially dangerous if astronauts are met with any mission critical scenarios that they&#39;re not able to solve themselves,&quot; said HPE senior vice president Alain Andreoli in a statement.

The new super-computer aims to provide &quot;sophisticated onboard computing resources that are capable of extended periods of uptime,&quot; he added, describing the year-long effort as &quot;the first step in that direction.&quot;

Another experiment on board is designed to help scientists study Parkinson&#39;s disease in greater detail in the hopes of finding better treatments for this degenerative disease.&nbsp;

Un-impeded by gravity, protein crystals can grow larger in space, and scientists hope to use this environment to help them understand an important protein in Parkinson&rsquo;s disease, known as Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2).

Until now, this protein has been difficult to study in Earth, according to researchers at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which developed the research project.

Other experiments on board include a stem cell investigation for growing new lung tissue, and equipment for growing vegetables in space.

The liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo ship, is planned for 1631 GMT from Cape Canaveral, Florida

SpaceX is poised to launch an unmanned cargo ship toward the International Space Station Monday, including a super-computer that could direct astronauts on future deep-space missions. The liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo ship, is planned for 12:31 pm (1631 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The weather forecast is 70 per cent favorable for launch. The mission is the 12th official trip for SpaceX, which has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the astronauts living in orbit over 20 such back-and-forth journeys. About 10 minutes after launch, the rocket will attempt to make a controlled landing back on solid ground at Cape Canaveral, as part of SpaceX's ongoing effort to reuse rocket components after each take-off. If Monday's launch is delayed for any reason, the next attempt would have to wait until next week, due to a spacewalk planned for Thursday by Russian cosmonauts, who will deploy a series of satellites from the orbiting outpost. The Dragon is packed with 2,900 kilograms of supplies, including a sophisticated super-computer made by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), called The Spaceborne Computer. The goal is to test the computer for one year to see if it can operate in the harsh conditions of space, about the same amount of time as it would take for astronauts to arrive at Mars. As astronauts travel millions of miles away, communications will become increasingly delayed. Messages from Mars to Earth would be delayed from between four minutes to 24 minutes one-way, depending on the distance between the planets, according to the European Space Agency. "Such a long communication lag would make any on-the-ground exploration challenging and potentially dangerous if astronauts are met with any mission critical scenarios that they're not able to solve themselves," said HPE senior vice president Alain Andreoli in a statement. The new super-computer aims to provide "sophisticated onboard computing resources that are capable of extended periods of uptime," he added, describing the year-long effort as "the first step in that direction." Another experiment on board is designed to help scientists study Parkinson's disease in greater detail in the hopes of finding better treatments for this degenerative disease. Un-impeded by gravity, protein crystals can grow larger in space, and scientists hope to use this environment to help them understand an important protein in Parkinson’s disease, known as Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). Until now, this protein has been difficult to study in Earth, according to researchers at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which developed the research project. Other experiments on board include a stem cell investigation for growing new lung tissue, and equipment for growing vegetables in space.

SpaceX to launch super-computer to space

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is all set to make a new addition into the International Space station.&nbsp;

The rocket that took of at 12:31PM ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida,&nbsp;will launch a supercomputer called Spaceborne, from Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

The Computer system is a joint project between HPE and NASA which aims to check the vulnerability of commercial computer in harsh space environment.&nbsp;

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Weather remains 70% GO for tomorrow&#39;s 12:31pm ET launch of <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX">@SpaceX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dragon?src=hash">#Dragon</a> carrying science/cargo to <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station">@Space_Station</a>: <a href="https://t.co/bIT8bGXhdB">https://t.co/bIT8bGXhdB</a> <a href="https://t.co/kR2itmA0rP">pic.twitter.com/kR2itmA0rP</a>
&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/896875505474863105">August 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Mark Fernandez, the HPE engineer said that the space-bound computer is designed with an ability to make one trillion calculations in a single second.&nbsp;

The space station is placed in lower Earth orbit which makes it an unfavourable place for computers.The ISS is exposed to more radiation from solar flares and cosmic rays because of its presence outside the Earth&#39;s protective atmosphere.&nbsp;

In order to safeguard computers from this exposure they are shielded to make them physically &quot;hardened&quot; which can help in making them adaptable to higher radiation environment.

The project will be experimenting the regular &quot;off- the -shelf&quot; computers to examine their operation in space for longer time. These computers with upgraded software are designed to deal radiation exposure differently.&nbsp;

Running on open-source Linux operating system the computer is programmed to detect &nbsp;high-radiation event.

NASA said that the computer&nbsp;will respond by throttling its systems and lowering its operating speed to save power and avoid damage.

The computer has passed 146 safety tests and certifications by NASA before the space travel, according to HPE. The system is expected to last for an year in the space station after which it will be compared to an identical computer that HPE will be monitoring on the ground.&nbsp;

Later, after the project works similar software hardened computers can be developed as critical tool for future deep space missions beyond Earth.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The rocket that took of at 12:31PM ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida,?will launch a supercomputer called Spaceborne

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is all set to make a new addition into the International Space station. The rocket that took of at 12:31PM ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, will launch a supercomputer called Spaceborne, from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The Computer system is a joint project between HPE and NASA which aims to check the vulnerability of commercial computer in harsh space environment. Weather remains 70% GO for tomorrow's 12:31pm ET launch of @SpaceX #Dragon carrying science/cargo to @Space_Station: https://t.co/bIT8bGXhdB pic.twitter.com/kR2itmA0rP — NASA (@NASA) August 13, 2017 × Mark Fernandez, the HPE engineer said that the space-bound computer is designed with an ability to make one trillion calculations in a single second. The space station is placed in lower Earth orbit which makes it an unfavourable place for computers.The ISS is exposed to more radiation from solar flares and cosmic rays because of its presence outside the Earth's protective atmosphere. In order to safeguard computers from this exposure they are shielded to make them physically "hardened" which can help in making them adaptable to higher radiation environment. The project will be experimenting the regular "off- the -shelf" computers to examine their operation in space for longer time. These computers with upgraded software are designed to deal radiation exposure differently. Running on open-source Linux operating system the computer is programmed to detect high-radiation event. NASA said that the computer will respond by throttling its systems and lowering its operating speed to save power and avoid damage. The computer has passed 146 safety tests and certifications by NASA before the space travel, according to HPE. The system is expected to last for an year in the space station after which it will be compared to an identical computer that HPE will be monitoring on the ground. Later, after the project works similar software hardened computers can be developed as critical tool for future deep space missions beyond Earth.

Spaceborne: SpaceX new launch into international space station

SpaceX wants to expand facilities in Florida to refurbish and store its reusable rocket boosters as it increases the pace of launches.

The privately owned rocket company, operated by entrepreneur Elon Musk, proposes building a 67,222-square-foot (6,245-square meter) hangar just south of its Cape Canaveral launch sites to prepare recovered Falcon boosters for reflight.

The Port Canaveral Board of Commissioners is scheduled to consider SpaceX&#39;s proposed lease.

Since successfully landing its first Falcon rocket in December 2015, SpaceX has successfully returned boosters 12 more times on drone barges floating in the ocean or on a landing pad on the ground. Two of those boosters were refurbished and relaunched on second satellite-delivery missions.

SpaceX in March took over a spacecraft processing facility at Port Canaveral that once was used to prepare Spacehab science and equipment modules for flight aboard NASA&#39;s now-retired space shuttles. The new lease is for 2.2 acres of vacant land adjacent to the Spacehab building.

The hangar that SpaceX wants to build there will be used for rocket refurbishment and storage, company spokesman John Taylor said. The old Spacehab building will be used for offices, rocket storage and to house equipment currently positioned at the dock where SpaceX&rsquo;s floating landing pad returns from sea, Taylor said.

&quot;Right now, we have that work dispersed at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This will allow us to consolidate and work more efficiently,&quot; Taylor said.

SpaceX operates two launch sites in Florida, though one remains out of service following a September 2016 accident that destroyed a $62 million rocket, a $200 million communications satellite and heavily damaged the launch pad. Repairs are underway and SpaceX expects to resume flights from the pad, located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, later this year.

The California-based firm uses the space shuttle&#39;s old launch pads at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, just north of the Air Force base. It also has a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and is building a launch site near Brownsville, Texas.

The company is preparing for its 10th flight of the year, and third launch in nine days, on Sunday. SpaceX has a backlog of more than 70 missions, worth more than $10 billion, spokesman Taylor said.

SpaceX wants to refurbish and store its reusable rocket boosters as it increases the pace of launches

SpaceX wants to expand facilities in Florida to refurbish and store its reusable rocket boosters as it increases the pace of launches. The privately owned rocket company, operated by entrepreneur Elon Musk, proposes building a 67,222-square-foot (6,245-square meter) hangar just south of its Cape Canaveral launch sites to prepare recovered Falcon boosters for reflight. The Port Canaveral Board of Commissioners is scheduled to consider SpaceX's proposed lease. Since successfully landing its first Falcon rocket in December 2015, SpaceX has successfully returned boosters 12 more times on drone barges floating in the ocean or on a landing pad on the ground. Two of those boosters were refurbished and relaunched on second satellite-delivery missions. SpaceX in March took over a spacecraft processing facility at Port Canaveral that once was used to prepare Spacehab science and equipment modules for flight aboard NASA's now-retired space shuttles. The new lease is for 2.2 acres of vacant land adjacent to the Spacehab building. The hangar that SpaceX wants to build there will be used for rocket refurbishment and storage, company spokesman John Taylor said. The old Spacehab building will be used for offices, rocket storage and to house equipment currently positioned at the dock where SpaceX’s floating landing pad returns from sea, Taylor said. "Right now, we have that work dispersed at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This will allow us to consolidate and work more efficiently," Taylor said. SpaceX operates two launch sites in Florida, though one remains out of service following a September 2016 accident that destroyed a $62 million rocket, a $200 million communications satellite and heavily damaged the launch pad. Repairs are underway and SpaceX expects to resume flights from the pad, located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, later this year. The California-based firm uses the space shuttle's old launch pads at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, just north of the Air Force base. It also has a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and is building a launch site near Brownsville, Texas. The company is preparing for its 10th flight of the year, and third launch in nine days, on Sunday. SpaceX has a backlog of more than 70 missions, worth more than $10 billion, spokesman Taylor said.

SpaceX plans expansion of rocket refurbishing facilities in Florida

SpaceX blasted off a secretive US government payload, known only as NROL-76, marking the first military launch for the California-based aerospace company headed by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk.

The payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which makes and operates spy satellites for the United States, soared into the sky atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:15 am (1115 GMT).

About 10 minutes after launch, the scorched first stage of the rocket came back to Earth and landed upright at Cape Canaveral, marking the fourth successful solid ground landing for SpaceX.

&quot;And we have touchdown,&quot; a SpaceX commentator said on the live webcast of the event as cheers broke out at mission control.

&quot;The first stage has landed back at Landing Zone 1. Another good day for us at SpaceX. A beautiful sight to see.&quot;

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Split screen shot of Falcon 9 first stage as it returns to Earth and lands at Landing Zone 1. <a href="https://t.co/5hlwTOTGKa">pic.twitter.com/5hlwTOTGKa</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/859014922801369089">May 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Live video of the launch showed the first and second stages of the rocket separating about two and a half minutes into the flight.

The larger, first stage, made a gentle arc and powered its nitrogen thrusters to guide it back to Earth.

The rocket then set itself down, gently and steadily, in the center of the 300-foot (91-meter) circular landing zone.

Musk is leading an effort in the rocket industry to re-use costly parts rather than jettison them into the ocean after each launch.

SpaceX has already made multiple successful landings, some on floating platforms - known as drone ships - in the ocean.

The launch was initially planned for Sunday, but was postponed in the last seconds before liftoff due to a sensor issue with the rocket, SpaceX said.

The sensor in question was replaced ahead of Monday&rsquo;s attempt. Little was known about the payload due to its classified nature.

&quot;As a matter of policy and because of classification, NRO does not provide information about our contracts,&quot; a spokeswoman told AFP. Until now, the US military has spent billions per year exclusively with United Launch Alliance, a joint operation of aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to launch government satellites.

SpaceX in 2014 protested the US Air Force&rsquo;s practice of using only ULA, saying it unfairly awarded billions of dollars to a single company for national security launches.

SpaceX to was selected to launch NROL-76 &quot;after a competition,&quot; said the NRO spokeswoman. She said she did not know when the contract was awarded. The contract was first announced last year.

SpaceX regularly launches unmanned cargo ships to the International Space Station, and is working on a crew capsule that could carry humans into orbit as early as next year.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

SpaceX marks the first military launch for the California-based aerospace company headed by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk

SpaceX blasted off a secretive US government payload, known only as NROL-76, marking the first military launch for the California-based aerospace company headed by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk. The payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which makes and operates spy satellites for the United States, soared into the sky atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:15 am (1115 GMT). About 10 minutes after launch, the scorched first stage of the rocket came back to Earth and landed upright at Cape Canaveral, marking the fourth successful solid ground landing for SpaceX. "And we have touchdown," a SpaceX commentator said on the live webcast of the event as cheers broke out at mission control. "The first stage has landed back at Landing Zone 1. Another good day for us at SpaceX. A beautiful sight to see." Split screen shot of Falcon 9 first stage as it returns to Earth and lands at Landing Zone 1. pic.twitter.com/5hlwTOTGKa — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 1, 2017 × Live video of the launch showed the first and second stages of the rocket separating about two and a half minutes into the flight. The larger, first stage, made a gentle arc and powered its nitrogen thrusters to guide it back to Earth. The rocket then set itself down, gently and steadily, in the center of the 300-foot (91-meter) circular landing zone. Musk is leading an effort in the rocket industry to re-use costly parts rather than jettison them into the ocean after each launch. SpaceX has already made multiple successful landings, some on floating platforms - known as drone ships - in the ocean. The launch was initially planned for Sunday, but was postponed in the last seconds before liftoff due to a sensor issue with the rocket, SpaceX said. The sensor in question was replaced ahead of Monday’s attempt. Little was known about the payload due to its classified nature. "As a matter of policy and because of classification, NRO does not provide information about our contracts," a spokeswoman told AFP. Until now, the US military has spent billions per year exclusively with United Launch Alliance, a joint operation of aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to launch government satellites. SpaceX in 2014 protested the US Air Force’s practice of using only ULA, saying it unfairly awarded billions of dollars to a single company for national security launches. SpaceX to was selected to launch NROL-76 "after a competition," said the NRO spokeswoman. She said she did not know when the contract was awarded. The contract was first announced last year. SpaceX regularly launches unmanned cargo ships to the International Space Station, and is working on a crew capsule that could carry humans into orbit as early as next year. (AFP)

SpaceX makes first US military launch; lands Falcon 9 rocket

Tesla on Monday became the second-largest US car maker in terms of market capitalisation, displacing Ford, whose sales lagged amid concerns about the ability of the US market to keep growing.

Many major auto makers reported US sales declines in March compared to a year ago, but Tesla over the weekend said it saw a huge jump in vehicles delivered to consumers in the first three months of the year.&nbsp;

That was enough to send the electric car maker&#39;s stock soaring Monday, even as investors punished major car brands for reporting lower-than-expected March sales.&nbsp;

Tesla said it delivered 25,000 of its high-tech vehicles in the January-March period -- a 69 per cent surge compared to the first three months of 2016 -- indicating it was on its way to meeting its goal of 50,000 vehicle deliveries by mid-2017.&nbsp;

Late last year, the company reported its first quarterly profit in more than three years, but then slipped back into unprofitability in the following quarter.&nbsp;

Investors still rewarded the company on Monday, with stock movements reshuffling the hierarchy among US carmakers. Tesla Motors overtook Ford for the number two spot and closed the gap with GM, the biggest US automaker by market capitalisation.&nbsp;

At market close, Tesla was up 7.3 per cent to $298.52 for a market capitalisation of $48.63 billion.

Ford, which at one point was down as much as three per cent, had a market capitalisation of $45.47 billion. At its low, GM fell 4.4 per cent, but maintained a market capitalization above $50.9 billion.

Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk marked the occasion on Twitter with a dig at short sellers, investors who bet that a company&#39;s stock will decline.&nbsp;

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Stormy weather in Shortville ...
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/848935705057280001">April 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Stormy weather in Shortville,&quot; Musk wrote.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Major brands struggle

For the industry as a whole, it may indeed be stormy weather. &nbsp;Car companies failed to meet forecasts of an overall March sales increase, which fell instead industry-wide by 1.6 per cent, according to an estimate by the tracking firm Autodata.&nbsp;The seasonally-adjusted annual rate for US vehicle sales fell to 16.62 million units, versus 16.67 million units a year ago, Autodata reported.&nbsp;

Despite the bad news, there were bright spots among established auto makers.&nbsp;GM saw sales gain 1.6 per cent, helped by Americans&#39; strong demand for light trucks and sport utility vehicles, as well as bigger discounts. Nissan sales also rose, up 3.2 per cent compared to March 2016, helped by its popular Rogue compact SUV.&nbsp;

But the news was not good for many other big players.&nbsp;Ford reported that sales fell a worse-than-expected 7.2 per cent, while Toyota sales dropped 2.1 per cent, compared to the same period last year.&nbsp;

FCA US, the American arm of Fiat Chrysler, continued to struggle, reporting a five per cent decline last month, while in the first three months of the year, sales were down eight per cent.&nbsp;Record Honda truck and SUV sales could not help the Japanese car maker notch an overall increase last month, as sales slipped 0.7 per cent, when accounting for declines at its Acura luxury brand.&nbsp;

In an earlier forecast note, Edmunds analyst Jessica Caldwell struck a cautionary tone for the industry, saying there were several areas of concern.&nbsp;

&quot;Inventories have reached levels not seen in more than a decade, and incentives are rising,&quot; Caldwell said, referring to discounts and other enticements offered to consumers.

&quot;We&#39;re also seeing an increase in loan terms and indications of a rise in subprime lending, which demonstrate sales aren&#39;t coming as easily as they used to,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

But while Toyota echoed that cautionary tone, pointing to a declining selling rate, GM remained optimistic. &nbsp;&quot;More people are working, consumer confidence is at a 16-year high, fuel prices are low,&quot; Kurt McNeil, head of GM&#39;s US sales, said in a statement. &quot;We see more growth ahead for our brands,&quot; McNeil said.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Elon Musk's company has now overtaken Ford, and it's narrowing in on General Motors

Tesla on Monday became the second-largest US car maker in terms of market capitalisation, displacing Ford, whose sales lagged amid concerns about the ability of the US market to keep growing. Many major auto makers reported US sales declines in March compared to a year ago, but Tesla over the weekend said it saw a huge jump in vehicles delivered to consumers in the first three months of the year. That was enough to send the electric car maker's stock soaring Monday, even as investors punished major car brands for reporting lower-than-expected March sales. Tesla said it delivered 25,000 of its high-tech vehicles in the January-March period -- a 69 per cent surge compared to the first three months of 2016 -- indicating it was on its way to meeting its goal of 50,000 vehicle deliveries by mid-2017. Late last year, the company reported its first quarterly profit in more than three years, but then slipped back into unprofitability in the following quarter. Investors still rewarded the company on Monday, with stock movements reshuffling the hierarchy among US carmakers. Tesla Motors overtook Ford for the number two spot and closed the gap with GM, the biggest US automaker by market capitalisation. At market close, Tesla was up 7.3 per cent to $298.52 for a market capitalisation of $48.63 billion. Ford, which at one point was down as much as three per cent, had a market capitalisation of $45.47 billion. At its low, GM fell 4.4 per cent, but maintained a market capitalization above $50.9 billion. Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk marked the occasion on Twitter with a dig at short sellers, investors who bet that a company's stock will decline. Stormy weather in Shortville ... — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 3, 2017 × "Stormy weather in Shortville," Musk wrote. Major brands struggle For the industry as a whole, it may indeed be stormy weather. Car companies failed to meet forecasts of an overall March sales increase, which fell instead industry-wide by 1.6 per cent, according to an estimate by the tracking firm Autodata. The seasonally-adjusted annual rate for US vehicle sales fell to 16.62 million units, versus 16.67 million units a year ago, Autodata reported. Despite the bad news, there were bright spots among established auto makers. GM saw sales gain 1.6 per cent, helped by Americans' strong demand for light trucks and sport utility vehicles, as well as bigger discounts. Nissan sales also rose, up 3.2 per cent compared to March 2016, helped by its popular Rogue compact SUV. But the news was not good for many other big players. Ford reported that sales fell a worse-than-expected 7.2 per cent, while Toyota sales dropped 2.1 per cent, compared to the same period last year. FCA US, the American arm of Fiat Chrysler, continued to struggle, reporting a five per cent decline last month, while in the first three months of the year, sales were down eight per cent. Record Honda truck and SUV sales could not help the Japanese car maker notch an overall increase last month, as sales slipped 0.7 per cent, when accounting for declines at its Acura luxury brand. In an earlier forecast note, Edmunds analyst Jessica Caldwell struck a cautionary tone for the industry, saying there were several areas of concern. "Inventories have reached levels not seen in more than a decade, and incentives are rising," Caldwell said, referring to discounts and other enticements offered to consumers. "We're also seeing an increase in loan terms and indications of a rise in subprime lending, which demonstrate sales aren't coming as easily as they used to," she said. But while Toyota echoed that cautionary tone, pointing to a declining selling rate, GM remained optimistic. "More people are working, consumer confidence is at a 16-year high, fuel prices are low," Kurt McNeil, head of GM's US sales, said in a statement. "We see more growth ahead for our brands," McNeil said. (AFP)

Tesla now second largest US automaker

Supreme Court today dismissed the plea of auto manufacturers and&nbsp;banned&nbsp;the sale and registration of vehicles with BS-III emission norms. The apex court&#39;s move means only cars with BS-IV emission norms can be sold in the country.

The Supreme Court said the health of the people is more important than the&nbsp;commercial interest of automobile companies.

The move is likely to affect the&nbsp;sale of&nbsp;upto&nbsp;8.5 lakh vehicles in India. Supreme Court&#39;s directive comes into effect from April 1.&nbsp;

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta prohibited registration of any vehicles which do not meet the Bharat Stage-IV emission norm standards from April 1.

Difference&nbsp;between BS-III and BS-IV, VI 
BS-III 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Introduced in 13 Indian cities in April 2005 for all vehicles (except two-wheelers)<a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/backgrounders.aspx?relid=65197"> link</a> 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Entire country covered by April 2010. 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cars using petrol could give out regulated pollutants at rate of 2.65 g/km driven according to BS-III norms.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.siamindia.com/technical-regulation.aspx?mpgid=31&amp;pgidtrail=33">(link)</a> 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BS-III petrol is allowed to have up to 150 parts per million (ppm) sulphur and BS-III diesel is allowed to have 350 ppm sulphur.&nbsp;

BS-IV and VI 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BS-IV norms introduced in 13 cities in April 2010, BS-V standards skipped, straight to BS VI. 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In BS-IV, Cars using petrol will give out regulated pollutants at rate of 1.18 g/km and in BS VI cars will give them out at rate of 1.16 g/km driven.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.siamindia.com/technical-regulation.aspx?mpgid=31&amp;pgidtrail=33">(link)</a> 
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BS-IV petrol and diesel both have 50 parts per million sulphur, BS-VI has 10 ppm sulphur.&nbsp;

(WION)

Elon Musk says this feat could dramatically lower the cost of space travel

Supreme Court today dismissed the plea of auto manufacturers and banned the sale and registration of vehicles with BS-III emission norms. The apex court's move means only cars with BS-IV emission norms can be sold in the country. The Supreme Court said the health of the people is more important than the commercial interest of automobile companies. The move is likely to affect the sale of upto 8.5 lakh vehicles in India. Supreme Court's directive comes into effect from April 1. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta prohibited registration of any vehicles which do not meet the Bharat Stage-IV emission norm standards from April 1. Difference between BS-III and BS-IV, VI BS-III · Introduced in 13 Indian cities in April 2005 for all vehicles (except two-wheelers) link · Entire country covered by April 2010. · Cars using petrol could give out regulated pollutants at rate of 2.65 g/km driven according to BS-III norms. (link) · BS-III petrol is allowed to have up to 150 parts per million (ppm) sulphur and BS-III diesel is allowed to have 350 ppm sulphur. BS-IV and VI · BS-IV norms introduced in 13 cities in April 2010, BS-V standards skipped, straight to BS VI. · In BS-IV, Cars using petrol will give out regulated pollutants at rate of 1.18 g/km and in BS VI cars will give them out at rate of 1.16 g/km driven. (link) · BS-IV petrol and diesel both have 50 parts per million sulphur, BS-VI has 10 ppm sulphur. (WION)

SpaceX hails 'revolution' after recycled rocket launch, landing

Sending tourists for a trip around the moon is the latest big idea launched by Elon Musk, a Silicon Valley star known for turning his passions into visionary enterprises.

Musk has become one of the United States&#39; best-known innovators. He was a founder of payments company PayPal, electric carmaker Tesla Motors and SpaceX, maker and launcher of rockets and spacecraft.

SpaceX recently announced that two private citizens have paid money to be sent around the Moon in what would mark the farthest humans have ever travelled to deep space since the 1970s.

In a sector where entrepreneurs often speak of &quot;moonshots,&quot; Musk is one of the biggest dreamers. The 45-year-old South Africa-born entrepreneur has channelled a dot-com fortune into a series of ambitious ventures.

Besides being the head of SpaceX and Tesla, Musk is the chairman of SolarCity, a solar panel installer recently bought by Tesla. He also operates his own foundation focusing on education, clean energy and child health.

And he drafted a paper detailing the feasibility of an ultra-fast &quot;Hyperloop&quot; rail transport system that would transport people at near supersonic speeds, then made it freely available to enterprises willing to pursue the project.

&#39;Doesn&#39;t sit around&#39;

&quot;He is a visionary who has some key passions which he pursues with vigour,&quot; Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson said of Musk. &quot;He doesn&#39;t sit around and wait for people to do something about them; he goes out and does it himself.&quot;

Musk&#39;s penchant for rocketing after his passions may appear to spread him thin, but he has built a record of success. 
Musk appears strong on painting big ideas in broad strokes and then enlisting people skilled at tending to the nuts-and-bolts work needed to follow through, say observers.

&quot;He doesn&#39;t seem to be able to focus,&quot; analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group said. &quot;He just likes coming up with the ideas and is good at picking other people who can deal with the plumbing - that is why he is able to do a lot of stuff.&quot;

And while some may wonder whether hubris or realism reigns in Musk&#39;s moves, his businesses have gained value, with the jury still out on the wisdom of the Tesla acquisition of SolarCity.

&quot;He can certainly sell his ideas,&quot; Enderle said. &quot;The fact his businesses have held together so long indicates he is not a con man.&quot;

Fighting against evil

Musk more than a year ago took part in creating a nonprofit research company devoted to developing artificial intelligence that will help people and not hurt them. Musk found himself in the middle of a technology world controversy by holding firm that AI could turn on humanity and be its ruin instead of a salvation.

Technology giants including Google, Apple and Microsoft have been investing in making machines smarter, contending the goal is to improve lives. &quot;If we create some digital super-intelligence that exceeds us in every way by a lot, it is very important that it be benign,&quot; Musk said at a conference in California.

He reasoned that even a benign situation with ultra-intelligent AI would put people so far beneath the machine they would be &quot;like a house cat.&quot; &quot;I don&#39;t love the idea of being a house cat,&quot; Musk said, envisioning the creation of neural lacing that magnifies people&#39;s brain power by linking them directly to computing capabilities.

Living in a game

Some of his ideas have prompted questions about whether Musk is a visionary or mad scientist. He has raised eyebrows with a theory that the world as it is known may be a computer simulation.

&quot;I&#39;ve had so many simulation discussions it&#39;s crazy,&quot; Musk said while fielding a question on the topic at the conference. 
He maintained that &quot;the odds that we are in base reality is one in billions.&quot;

Musk lives in Los Angeles and holds US, Canadian and South African citizenship. He moved to Canada in his late teens and then to the United States, earning bachelor&#39;s degrees in physics and business from the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduating, Musk abandoned plans to pursue further studies at Stanford University and started Zip2, a company that made online publishing software for the media industry. He banked his first millions before the age of 30 when he sold Zip2 to US computer maker Compaq for more than $300 million in 1999.

Musk&#39;s next company, X.com, eventually merged with PayPal, the online payments firm bought by Internet auction giant eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. Forbes estimates Musk&#39;s current net worth at $13.4 billion.

(AFP)

Sending tourists for a trip around the moon is the latest big idea launched by Elon Musk

Sending tourists for a trip around the moon is the latest big idea launched by Elon Musk, a Silicon Valley star known for turning his passions into visionary enterprises. Musk has become one of the United States' best-known innovators. He was a founder of payments company PayPal, electric carmaker Tesla Motors and SpaceX, maker and launcher of rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX recently announced that two private citizens have paid money to be sent around the Moon in what would mark the farthest humans have ever travelled to deep space since the 1970s. In a sector where entrepreneurs often speak of "moonshots," Musk is one of the biggest dreamers. The 45-year-old South Africa-born entrepreneur has channelled a dot-com fortune into a series of ambitious ventures. Besides being the head of SpaceX and Tesla, Musk is the chairman of SolarCity, a solar panel installer recently bought by Tesla. He also operates his own foundation focusing on education, clean energy and child health. And he drafted a paper detailing the feasibility of an ultra-fast "Hyperloop" rail transport system that would transport people at near supersonic speeds, then made it freely available to enterprises willing to pursue the project. 'Doesn't sit around' "He is a visionary who has some key passions which he pursues with vigour," Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson said of Musk. "He doesn't sit around and wait for people to do something about them; he goes out and does it himself." Musk's penchant for rocketing after his passions may appear to spread him thin, but he has built a record of success. Musk appears strong on painting big ideas in broad strokes and then enlisting people skilled at tending to the nuts-and-bolts work needed to follow through, say observers. "He doesn't seem to be able to focus," analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group said. "He just likes coming up with the ideas and is good at picking other people who can deal with the plumbing - that is why he is able to do a lot of stuff." And while some may wonder whether hubris or realism reigns in Musk's moves, his businesses have gained value, with the jury still out on the wisdom of the Tesla acquisition of SolarCity. "He can certainly sell his ideas," Enderle said. "The fact his businesses have held together so long indicates he is not a con man." Fighting against evil Musk more than a year ago took part in creating a nonprofit research company devoted to developing artificial intelligence that will help people and not hurt them. Musk found himself in the middle of a technology world controversy by holding firm that AI could turn on humanity and be its ruin instead of a salvation. Technology giants including Google, Apple and Microsoft have been investing in making machines smarter, contending the goal is to improve lives. "If we create some digital super-intelligence that exceeds us in every way by a lot, it is very important that it be benign," Musk said at a conference in California. He reasoned that even a benign situation with ultra-intelligent AI would put people so far beneath the machine they would be "like a house cat." "I don't love the idea of being a house cat," Musk said, envisioning the creation of neural lacing that magnifies people's brain power by linking them directly to computing capabilities. Living in a game Some of his ideas have prompted questions about whether Musk is a visionary or mad scientist. He has raised eyebrows with a theory that the world as it is known may be a computer simulation. "I've had so many simulation discussions it's crazy," Musk said while fielding a question on the topic at the conference. He maintained that "the odds that we are in base reality is one in billions." Musk lives in Los Angeles and holds US, Canadian and South African citizenship. He moved to Canada in his late teens and then to the United States, earning bachelor's degrees in physics and business from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, Musk abandoned plans to pursue further studies at Stanford University and started Zip2, a company that made online publishing software for the media industry. He banked his first millions before the age of 30 when he sold Zip2 to US computer maker Compaq for more than $300 million in 1999. Musk's next company, X.com, eventually merged with PayPal, the online payments firm bought by Internet auction giant eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. Forbes estimates Musk's current net worth at $13.4 billion. (AFP)

Is Tesla chief Elon Musk a visionary or mad scientist?

SpaceX said Monday two private citizens have paid money to be sent around the Moon late next year, in what would mark the furthest humans have ever traveled to deep space.

The United States has not sent astronauts to the Moon since NASA&#39;s Apollo missions of the 1960s and &#39;70s.

&quot;We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year,&quot; said a statement by CEO Elon Musk.

&quot;This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them.&quot;

The tourists, who were not named, &quot;have already paid a significant deposit,&quot; Musk&#39;s statement added.

They will ride aboard the California-based company&#39;s Crew Dragon capsule, which is scheduled for its first unmanned test flight later this year.

It is based on the design currently used to send cargo to the International Space Station, with upgrades to allow for human transport.

(AFP)

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CEO Elon Musk said the two private citizens 'have already paid a significant deposit' to be sent around the Moon next year

SpaceX said Monday two private citizens have paid money to be sent around the Moon late next year, in what would mark the furthest humans have ever traveled to deep space. The United States has not sent astronauts to the Moon since NASA's Apollo missions of the 1960s and '70s. "We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year," said a statement by CEO Elon Musk. "This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them." The tourists, who were not named, "have already paid a significant deposit," Musk's statement added. They will ride aboard the California-based company's Crew Dragon capsule, which is scheduled for its first unmanned test flight later this year. It is based on the design currently used to send cargo to the International Space Station, with upgrades to allow for human transport. (AFP)

SpaceX to fly two tourists around moon in 2018

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