The Chhattisgarh

Tag: SpaceX

  • Elon Musk Becomes 1st Person To Touch 200 Million Followers On X |

    Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday became the first person to reach 200 million followers on X social media platform, which he acquired in October 2022 for a whopping $44 billion. The X owner is currently followed by former US President Barack Obama at 131.9 million followers, and famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo at 113.2 million followers (as of October 3).

    Popular singer Justin Bieber is at the fourth position with 110.3 million followers and Rihanna is in the fifth spot with 108.4 million followers. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently crossed the 100 million mark in the world — which was hailed by Musk — and has 102.4 million followers as of now.

    Musk recently said that X now has more than 600 million monthly active users (MAUs), and around 300 million daily active users (DAUs). Reports surfaced recently, claiming that most of Musk’s followers “are fake and the count is bloated by millions of new, inactive accounts”. However, there has been no official confirmation about the claim.

    According to the Tesla and SpaceX owner, X social media platform has become a group chat for Earth, with maximum traffic coming from all over the world. “X is the group chat for Earth,” Musk had posted. The tech billionaire aims to make it an “everything app” where people can post movies and TV shows and also make digital payments. Musk also claimed that X usage in the US has reached an all-time high.

    Earlier this week, global investment firm Fidelity cut the value of its holding in Musk-run X (formerly Twitter) by a massive 78.7 per cent, which implies that the X social media platform is likely valued at just $9.4 billion.

    According to the asset manager, X is now valued at less than a quarter of its $44 billion purchase price (at August end), reports TechCrunch which cited its filings. X, Fidelity or Musk did not comment on the report based on regulatory disclosures.

  • Elon Musk-Run SpaceX, NASA To Send Mission With Over 3,500 Kg Cargo To ISS |

    New Delhi: Elon Musk-run SpaceX and US space agency NASA are set to launch a cargo mission with 8,200 pounds (3,719.45 kg) of supplies, scientific investigations, and equipment to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday.

    The commercial supplies will be carried to the orbiting lab by Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft (NG-21) onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

    The launch opportunity is available on Sunday at 11.02 a.m. (ET). It is the 21st commercial resupply mission by Northrop Grumman for NASA. The scientific experiments aboard Cygnus spacecraft include “tests of water recovery technology, a process to produce stem cells in microgravity, studies of the effects of spaceflight on microorganism DNA, liver tissue growth, and live science demonstrations for students”.

    In addition, the NG-21 will also carry two tiny CubeSats, as part of NASA’s ELaNa (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites) programme. It will be deployed from the ISS after the Cygnus docks on August 5.

    The NG-21 has been named the S.S. Richard “Dick” Scobee, after the NASA astronaut who commanded the ill-fated STS-51-L mission of the space shuttle Challenger.

    Shortly after liftoff on January 28, 1986, Challenger exploded, claiming the lives of Scobee and his six crewmates. The Cygnus will be docked using the station’s robotic arm, and installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port on the ISS.

    The spacecraft will spend almost six months connected to the orbiting laboratory before departing in January 2025. The orbiting lab currently houses 7 persons -five from Expedition 71 – Oleg Kononenko, Tracy Dyson, Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin; and two Starliner crew -Indian-origin, Sunita Williams, and Butch Wilmore.

  • Elon Musk Denies Claims of Offering Sperm to Colonize Mars In Next 20 Years- Details Here |

    New Delhi: Elon Musk has denied rumors that he offered his sperm to help start a colony on Mars. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO went on X (formerly Twitter) to reject a recent New York Times report that made this claim.

    Musk made a statement via X and wrote, “I have not, for what it’s worth, ‘volunteered my sperm.’” He further clarified that while colonizing Mars remains a long-term goal, SpaceX is currently focused on achieving the fundamental challenge of reaching the red planet. Furthermore, he said, “No one at SpaceX has been directed to work on a Mars city. When people have asked to do so, I’ve said we need to focus on getting there first.”

    According to a report in The New York Times, Elon Musk has offered to donate his sperm to help colonize Mars as SpaceX aims to reach the planet. Musk, 53, has asked SpaceX employees over the past year to start designing a city on Mars. He has also instructed SpaceX staff to create spacesuits, plan dome homes, and research if humans can reproduce on Mars.

    Musk reportedly hopes to establish a self-sufficient Martian colony and may even bioengineer new species to thrive there. His suggestions include using solar panels for energy and utilizing thermonuclear explosions to warm the planet.

    Adding further, a medical team is studying whether people could have children on Mars. The Times reported that billionaire Elon Musk is interested in creating his own species on the planet. These plans might involve Musk using his sperm to help start a colony. However, it’s still uncertain if humans can reproduce on Mars. Elon Musk has previously stated that it could take 40 to 100 years to establish a self-sustaining civilization on the red planet.

    Adam Watkins, associate professor of reproductive biology at the University of Nottingham, said that “studies have shown that you can send freeze-dried sperm into space sealed, like freeze-dried coffee effectively,” as reported by Business Insider.

    Adding further, he explained that “You would then do something like IVF with those sperm and eggs and transfer the embryos into females who are already established at the other end,” such as in a Mars settlement.

    Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to colonize Mars faces several challenges, including barren landscapes, frigid temperatures, dust storms, and an unbreathable atmosphere. Unlike NASA, which aims to send humans to Mars in the 2040s, Musk aspires to achieve this milestone much sooner.

  • Elon Musk Asks X Users To Post Long-Form Articles To Promote Citizen Journalism |

    New Delhi: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, on Sunday, encouraged X users to post long-form articles on the platform and create space for citizen journalism. Some users have already started posting full-length articles written by them on X, as Musk tries to compete with traditional media giants.

    “I just published my first X Article! Thank you @elonmusk for creating a platform for citizen journalism,” said a user. Musk replied: “Publish full-length, complex articles on X!” Another user commented: “Great idea! Engaging content on X will attract more readers.”

    Last September, the tech billionaire visited the US-Mexico border and live-streamed his tour of the region. Musk then encouraged people to do citizen journalism on X. “Please encourage more citizen journalism! You can do live video easily from your phone. 

    Publish full-length, complex articles on! https://t.co/xJIs5SEk5m
    — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2024

    More on-the-ground reporting from regular citizens will change the world,” he posted. The X owner has invited journalists to publish directly on X and earn more. He has also made X an open-source platform.

    He is even planning to launch his own news distribution service called XWire, saying whatever is relevant in legacy media is already available on X. The aim is to rival existing news platforms for disseminating company PR news and press releases.

  • SpaceX Will Enable Anyone To Travel To Moon, Mars: Elon Musk |

    New Delhi: SpaceX will enable anyone to go to space and even travel to the Moon and Mars, in the future, its CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday. “Over time, SpaceX will enable anyone to go to space and travel to the moon and Mars,” the tech billionaire posted on X social media platform.

    According to him, SpaceX is expected to exceed 90 per cent of all Earth’s payload to low-Earth orbit later this year. Currently, SpaceX’s rocket Falcon is nearly 80 per cent reusable and its mega rocket ‘Starship’ will eventually take reusability to approximately 100 per cent. The Starship is likely to land astronauts on the Moon during the crewed Artemis 3 mission in 2026. (Also Read: OnePlus 11R And OnePlus 12R Receive Massive Price Cut On Amazon, Flipkart; Check New Price And Specs)

    The space vehicle has so far had three test flights, and the fourth will take place soon. According to the company, the fourth flight test of Starship could launch as soon as June 5, pending regulatory approval. Starship’s third flight test made tremendous strides towards a future of rapidly reliable reusable rockets. (Also Read: Realme C63 Smartphone Launched With Android 14-Based Realme UI 5; Check Specs, Price)

    The fourth flight test “turns our focus from achieving orbit to demonstrating the ability to return and reuse Starship and Super Heavy”, the company said. The primary objectives will be executing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster, and achieving a controlled entry of Starship. In the meantime, Musk’s satellite-based internet service Starlink has surpassed 3 million customers in 99 countries. The affordable service has recently been launched in Indonesia and Fiji.

  • Elon Musk Arrives In Bali To Launch Starlink Internet Service With Indonesian President |

    New Delhi: Tech billionaire Elon Musk arrived in Bali, Indonesia today on May 19. His visit comes just before the planned launch of SpaceX’s Starlink internet service. This is Musk’s first visit to Indonesia and he will be launching Starlink with the country’s President, Joko Wiodo.

    This morning, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan picked up Elon Musk at the airport. They discussed Musk’s plans during his visit to Indonesia and important collaborations. One key topic was the launch of Starlink internet service which aims to bring high-speed internet to all parts of Indonesia, including remote areas. 

    High-speed internet services

    Panjaitan mentioned that launching the service at a health clinic aligns with Starlink’s mission to offer affordable high-speed internet especially in remote and underserved areas. Indonesia, a vast country with over 17,000 islands spread across three time zones has a population of more than 270 million. He explained that Indonesia’s remote regions need Starlink to provide high-speed internet which will be particularly useful for improving health, education, and maritime services. (Also Read: Realme Buds Wireless 3 Neo Earphones Launch Date Confirmed In India; Check Price, Specs)

    SpaceX Has Secured Operating Permit 

    The satellite division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX has already received permission to operate in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi shared this news with Reuters last week. (Also Read: OpenAI Never Clawed Back Any Employee’s Vested Equity: CEO Sam Altman)

    Indonesia is the third country in Southeast Asia where Starlink will operate. Malaysia granted Starlink a licence to provide internet services last year and a company in the Philippines signed a deal with SpaceX in 2022.

  • Elon Musk Plans To Relocate 1 million People To Mars |

    New Delhi: Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday announced plans to shift one million people to Mars. “We are mapping out a game plan to get a million people to Mars,” Musk wrote in a post on X.com. “Civilisation only passes the single-planet Great Filter when Mars can survive even if Earth supply ships stop coming,” he added.

    He said this in response to a post which said “Starship is the largest rocket ever built and it’ll take us to Mars”. “One day, a trip to Mars will be like a flight across the country,” replied Musk, to users who asked about the launch of Starship to the Red Planet. (Also Read: How A Security Researcher Defrauded Apple For $2.5 Million- Read Full Story)

    Last week, the SpaceX founder said that the “Starship should be able to make it to the moon in less than 5 years”. He noted that the SpaceX Dragon spaceship will take astronauts the furthest they’ve been from Earth in over half a century. Musk added that a lot of work will be required to live on Mars. (Also Read: Google Takes Action Against Misinformation In Europe; Check Details)

    Further, in January, Musk said he hopes that SpaceX will send humans to the Moon within the next eight years. “What will things be like eight years from now…I think we will have landed on Mars and I think we will have sent people to the Moon,” Musk said.

    He also aims to build a base on the Moon. “Humanity should have a moon base, cities on Mars and be out there among the stars,” the X owner said. “We should have a base on the moon, like a permanently occupied human base on the moon, and then send people to Mars. Maybe there’s something beyond the space station, but we’ll see,” he had said in the past.

    Musk also hopes that the third Starship flight test this year will reach orbit and prove the spacecraft can reliably deorbit.