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<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-won-election-what-that-means-for-elon-musk-2024-11">Elon Musk and Donald Trump are both enthusiastic </a>about space exploration opportunities amid a desire to slash regulations.</li><li>It's not yet clear how powerful Musk's role in the new Trump administration will be.</li></ul>Now that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-results-trump-harris-presidential-election-2024-11">president-elect Donald Trump</a> is set to return to power in the US, Elon Musk's plans for sending humans beyond Earth's orbit may be more likely to come to fruition.Space industry experts told Business Insider that Musk's influence over Trump could help advance <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-could-help-deregulate-tech-amid-a-trump-victory-2024-11">his business interests</a>, including sending the first crewed mission to Mars."I'm hugely optimistic about what's going to happen in space now," Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law, told Business Insider.Hanlon's optimism isn't unfounded, especially if Trump's second term focuses on space as much as his first.During his first term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump's administration founded <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-force-guardian-nick-hague-spacex-rocket-iss-2024-2">the Space Force</a>, re-launched the National Space Council, and established NASA's Artemis program. This program is set to return astronauts to the moon and lay the groundwork for the first crewed mission to Mars.But space isn't the only interest Trump and Musk share. They also want to slash government regulations.<h2 id="b873fb1d-647e-4cdf-a3ef-7d9a7adb04e7">Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency'</h2>Trump has said that he would cut 10 regulations for every new one his administration creates.Musk and his businesses, meanwhile, have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-faa-overtime-regulations-2024-9">clashed with regulators</a>, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration."There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go," Musk wrote on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1830829538118381574">X</a> after Trump announced that he planned to put the billionaire at the helm of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-rally-elon-musk-save-department-government-efficiency-2024-10">new "department of government efficiency."</a>It's unclear how much influence Musk would have over regulations if this department came to fruition. Trump's trust in Musk to run such a department, however, is a testament to the pair's burgeoning relationship.The two men teamed up on the campaign trail, with Musk contributing millions to Trump's reelection campaign and appearing with him at a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-pennsylvania-america-pac-donald-trump-harris-2024-11">rally in Pennsylvania</a>.In his election-night victory speech, Trump praised Musk for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spacex-starship-launch-five-huge-deal-space-travel-2024-10">SpaceX's Starship</a> vehicle, designed to shuttle the first humans to Mars, and for the company's Starlink internet satellites, which are designed to offer fast, cheap internet to remote locations worldwide.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-calls-zelenskyy-erdogan-influence-2024-11">Musk also joined a call</a> between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday — underscoring how influential Musk could be once Trump returns to office, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/11/08/musk-trump-zelensky-ukraine-call?stream=top&amp;utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=alerts_all">Axios</a> reported.Whether that influence translates to Trump founding a new "department of government efficiency" for Musk, though, is unclear.<div type="image" title="Elon Musk jumps for joy at Trump's recent rally in Butler, Pennsylvania." height="1279" width="2000" msid="115101302" hostid="261" sizebytes="117830"></div>SpaceX and Musk did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Trump's campaign said that Musk's ideas and efficiency will benefit federal bureaucracy but his role in Trump's administration remains under wraps."It's a crazy situation, but you can't just create a new department," Deborah Sivas, the director of the Environmental Law Clinic at Stanford, told BI. She said Congress would have to approve it, which may be more likely since Republicans won the Senate majority.Changing a government agency's powers or rules, Sivas said, requires making new rules or passing a law through Congress. That can take months, and it's not guaranteed to work.So, it's unlikely that Musk would be able to single-handedly eliminate key steps in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-texas-starship-launch-site-development-challenges-2019-6">regulatory processes</a>, like the typical environmental review requirement for building a new rocket launchpad."I think Elon Musk will be more likely in the background, whispering in his ear," Sivas said of the billionaire's relationship with Trump."Is he going to be able to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-autocratic-style-success-politics-harm-2024-9">influence space policy</a>? Yes, no question," Hanlon said, adding that she sees that as a "good thing" because of Musk's experience.In other arenas, like environmental regulation, Sivas isn't so sure."I feel like he should stay in his business lane and stay out of the government lane," Sivas said. "When you put those two together, it's like putting church and state together."<h2 id="879d5f64-5325-4a92-9196-db627a3cb3e9">Smoothing potholes on the road to Mars</h2>Even if Musk can't change regulations, a space-friendly Trump administration could smooth the path to Musk's goal of building a city on Mars.Musk recently <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1832550322293837833">said</a> that he plans to launch Starships to Mars for the first time in just two years. If those flights go well, he said that the first human crews would follow four years from now."That's a pretty ambitious timeline," George Nield, former associate administrator of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, told BI. To meet it would probably require "different regulatory frameworks or contractual arrangements than we've used in the past," he added.<div type="image" title="Elon Musk with former president Donald Trump" height="2633" width="3949" msid="115101300" hostid="261" sizebytes="148502"></div>"If anybody can do it, it will be Elon Musk," Hanlon said. But the government can help, she said, by making regulators more efficient.To help even further, she added, "It can become a policy of the US government to support commercial flight to Mars."With Trump's interest in Starship, the chances of that look better than ever.Regulations aren't the only obstacle. There are still a lot of technical hurdles to overcome before we can reach Mars, Nield said.The moon, on the other hand, is more achievable, and Trump has had his eye on it. Weeks after Musk endorsed Trump, the president-elect <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-victory-expected-boost-musks-mars-dream-2024-11-08/">told reporters</a> that the moon was the first step toward his ultimate goal to reach Mars.<h2 id="60abc973-d957-4dd0-8d46-da0596ffb8e2">The next moon landing</h2>For the Artemis program's first human moon landing, NASA plans to launch four astronauts toward the moon using its Space Launch System and Orion spaceship.In lunar orbit, the ship would meet up with SpaceX's Starship, which would carry two astronauts to the moon's surface, putting boots in the lunar dust for the first time since 1972.The date for that mission has been repeatedly pushed back, with September 2026 being NASA's current target.There's no indication that Trump is considering this, but if he wants a faster moon landing, he could ditch the NASA hardware and send astronauts aboard Starship alone, Nield said."If we see rapid progress with Starship and encouragement from the administration and Congress, I don't see any reason why that couldn't happen in a small number of years," Nield said.

What Trump's second term means for space and why one expert is 'hugely optimistic'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SpaceX achieved an incredible engineering feat on Sunday.</li><li>The company launched the fifth test <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-flight-four-ocean-splashdown-elon-musk-plans-2024-6">flight of its Starship rocket</a>.</li></ul>SpaceX's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-fifth-flight-test-how-to-watch-2024-10">Starship rocket achieved a world first</a> on Sunday during its fifth test flight, showing for the first time that the launch system may really have what it takes to change spaceflight forever.The launch system, which includes a Starship rocket-ship stacked atop a 233-foot-tall Super Heavy booster and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-big-is-spacex-starship-2023-4">stands taller than the Statue of Libery</a>, took off on its fifth orbital test flight on Sunday.The Super Heavy booster released Starship on its path toward space, then began to fall back to Earth. For the first time ever, as the booster descended toward the company's Texas launchpad, a pair of giant mechanical "chopsticks," or arms snatched it.The giant booster had returned to Earth in one piece. It was SpaceX's first attempt at the revolutionary chopstick maneuver."A day for the history books," engineers at SpaceX said as the booster landed.This engineering feat is unlike anything ever seen in orbital rocket technology. But it's something that SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, has been touting for years."I know it sounds insane," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA8ZBJWo73E">Musk said</a> in an interview for the YouTube channel Everday Astronaut in 2021. "When I suggested that, people thought I'd lost my mind."The feat brings SpaceX one step closer to Musk's stated goals of building the first fully reusable rocket system in history, slashing the cost of spaceflight, and ultimately making humanity a multi-planetary species.Now that SpaceX has proven both Starship and Super Heavy can launch toward space and return to Earth in one piece, the company is on track to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-launch-success-elon-musk-vision-cheap-space-travel-closer-2024-3">make rocket launches an estimated 10 times cheaper.</a><h2 id="193a3f68-f32e-43f4-9c65-18f25953f5c3">A huge step toward Musk's vision of colonizing Mars</h2><div type="image" title="spacex super heavy booster lands in mid-air" height="880" width="1175" msid="114224845" hostid="261" sizebytes="140760"></div>Starship is designed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-sn15-starship-rocket-fly-again-soon-2021-5">be the world's first fully reusable rocket</a>, meaning both the booster and the spaceship should be able to return to Earth ready to be used again.Super Heavy's successful landing on Sunday is one of the last big steps toward achieving that goal.The savings of reusability aren't hypothetical; SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 boosters have already proven that reusability can cut costs. SpaceX is able to offer cheap and quick turnaround launches at around<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-launch-success-elon-musk-vision-cheap-space-travel-closer-2024-3"> $67 million per flight</a>, which is about $1,500 per pound of payload.By comparison, the Space Shuttle <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://theconversation.com/how-spacex-lowered-costs-and-reduced-barriers-to-space-112586">cost about $25,000 per pound to fly</a> when it was active.Musk has previously said his ambition is to bring Starship costs down to <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-starship-rocket-update-flight-cost-million-2022-2">about $10 million per launch</a>, a drastic price cut that could open the door for futuristic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-helping-private-companies-build-business-moon-make-lunar-billions-2023-6">space industries</a> like asteroid mining and space factories and ultimately pave the way toward achieving Musk's vision of a colony on Mars with 1 million people.Starship is the vehicle that's supposed to make Musk's Mars dreams come true."No rocket before this has had the potential to extend life to another planet," <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">Musk, who founded SpaceX</a> in 2002 for this very purpose, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776669097490776563">said</a> in April. Musk isn't the only one."I have little doubt that it's going to be the workhorse that will bring humans back to the moon and Mars," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-mars-2015-11">Olivier de Weck</a>, professor of aeronautics, astronautics, and engineering at MIT, previously told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-spacex-elon-musk-reusable-rocket-mars-moon-launch-2023-2">Business Insider.</a>"It's not just a cool rocket project, but literally it has the potential to change the fate of humanity," he said.<h2 id="09214b7a-6b4a-42e1-a2b6-3f87566b75cd">SpaceX makes rocket history</h2>In past Starship test flights, the Super Heavy booster either exploded mid-flight or landed in the water. Sunday's test flight was the first time the booster returned to its launch site.After its 33 Raptor engines roared to life, lifting Starship toward its destination, the booster headed toward home. As it neared the launch tower, it fired three of its engines to slow down, and then like something out of a sci-fi film, it slowly lowered itself gently into the tower's mechanical arms as SpaceX employees screamed and cheered in the background.However, the company has faced a series of setbacks and delays since Starship's inaugural orbit-height flight 18 months ago. SpaceX said regulators were delaying Starship's fifth test launch because of minor changes and that the FAA was dragging its heels.But on Saturday, the FAA approved Starship's fifth launch and SpaceX wasted no time and launched the very next day. The FAA did require that SpaceX take more steps to better analyze the environmental impact of its launches moving forward.For example, SpaceX will have environmental engineers check how the launches affect nearby animal nesting sites during and after launches, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/13/science/space-starship-launch-landing.html">The New York Times</a> reported.

Why yesterday's SpaceX launch was such a huge deal for space travel 

<keyword id="19915124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO" source="keywords">ISRO</keyword> has targeted to <keyword id="19997100" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="launch" source="keywords">launch</keyword> the first mission of the ambitious <keyword id="19945102" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gaganyaan" source="keywords">Gaganyaan</keyword> project by December, a top official said here on Friday. Currently, some of the rocket hardware for the human <keyword id="41531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword> programme has reached the <keyword id="20021373" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satish-Dhawan-Space-Centre" source="keywords">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</keyword> here and the integration of the crew module was going on at the <keyword id="20054184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vikram-Sarabhai-Space-Centre" source="keywords">Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre</keyword>, Trivandrum, ISRO Chairman <keyword id="19929547" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="s-somanath" source="keywords">S Somanath</keyword> said. "Today, we are working on the first mission of the Gaganyaan called G1. The first unmanned mission. The status today is the rocket, the S200 stage, the L1, C32 stage are all at Satish Dhawan Space Centre," he said. He said the Crew Module integration was going on at VSSC Trivandrum while Crew Escape hardware was also ready. "So, we have to complete with full wiring and testing should be done. Our target is by November the whole system will reach here, possibly by December launch will happen," he said, responding to a query. Somanath was talking to reporters after successfully launching the third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle that placed the Earth Observation Satellite into orbit earlier in the day. The success of the third and final developmental flight would pave the way for launch of commercial missions using the smallest vehicle by ISRO's commercial arm <keyword id="20038721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NewSpace-India-Ltd" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NewSpace India Ltd" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NewSpace India Ltd">NewSpace India Ltd</keyword> (NSIL). Today's successful mission of <keyword id="21471593" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SSLV" source="keywords">SSLV</keyword> allows industry to forge a partnership with ISRO for placing satellites into Low Earth Orbit. Besides, it would also allow a company to gain knowledge on rockets, launch vehicles, and satellites in the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle missions. To a query about the requirement for industries to partner with the ISRO for taking up commercial launch of SSLV missions, Somanath said a day-long meeting was recently held with the industry. "I am hoping that the first technology transfer will happen in India between ISRO and industry. The Request for Interest (RFI) was released and as a single (entity) or as consortia, a company can show interest on the technology transfer (from ISRO) and what were the expectations from ISRO and how to qualify for such missions," he said. From the interactions held with the industry it emerged there was a huge amount of interest for them to learn about space, he added. "We told them it will be a huge challenge for anyone to learn rocketry from scratch. It is not just transferring technology, we are transferring the knowledge on how things are done (at ISRO). It is not the drawings alone, it is the knowledge behind those drawings we transfer to industry," according to Somanath, also the Secretary, Department of Space. Through the industry partnerships, ISRO would teach them on how to build a rocket, he said and added that the industry should qualify as per the criteria put forth by ISRO. The company should possess manufacturing capabilities, manufacturing facilities and financial strengths of a company would be assessed, he said. "We will add weightage and marks based on the performance of the company and based on that the companies will be shortlisted and a contract would be given to them after the companies which have to pay a technology transfer fee," he said. Some of the unique features of SSLVs are -- it provides low-cost access to Space, offers low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, 'launch on demand' feasibility and SSLV missions demand minimal launch infrastructure.

ISRO targets first Gaganyaan mission launch by December: Chairman

Perth: (The Conversation) Last week, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University's <keyword id="23932163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Binar-Space-Program" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Binar Space Program" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Binar Space Program">Binar Space Program</keyword> burned up in Earth's atmosphere. That was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means "fireball" in the Noongar language of the First Nations people of Perth. When a satellite is in low Earth orbit (2,000km or less), it experiences orbital decay as it drags closer and closer to the surface, eventually burning up. But these cube satellites (<keyword id="21533654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CubeSats" source="keywords">CubeSats</keyword>), known as Binar-2, 3 and 4, entered the atmosphere much sooner than originally planned. They only lasted for two months - a third of what was expected. This significantly reduced valuable time for science and testing new systems. The reason for their untimely demise? Our Sun has kicked into high gear, and the Binar satellites are far from the only casualty. Recent high <keyword id="20792842" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Solar-activity" source="keywords">solar activity</keyword> has been causing an unexpected headache for satellite operators in the last few years, and it's only increasing. <h2>Why is the Sun so active? </h2> Solar activity includes phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares and solar wind - the stream of charged particles that flows toward Earth. This activity is a product of the Sun's ever-changing magnetic field, and approximately every 11 years, it completely flips. At the midpoint of this cycle, solar activity is at its highest. While this cycle is known, specific solar activity is challenging to predict - the dynamics are complex and solar forecasting is in its infancy. In the last few months, indicators of solar activity were more than one and a half times higher than predictions for this point in the current cycle, labelled <keyword id="22712826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-cycle-25" source="keywords">solar cycle 25</keyword>. <h2>The impact of <keyword id="20087207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-weather" source="keywords">space weather</keyword> </h2> Space weather refers to the environmental effects that originate from outside our atmosphere (mostly the Sun). It affects us on Earth in a variety of noticeable and unnoticeable ways. The most obvious is the presence of auroras. In the past few months, auroras have been visible far more intensely and closer to the equator than in the last two decades. This is a direct result of the increased solar activity. Space weather, and solar activity in particular, also creates additional challenges for satellites and satellite operators. Higher solar activity means more solar flares and stronger solar wind - resulting in a higher flux of charged particles that can damage or disrupt electrical components on satellites. It also means an increase in ionising radiation, resulting in a higher dose for astronauts and pilots, and potential disruptions to long-distance radio communications. But for satellites in low Earth orbit, the most consistent effect of solar activity is that the extra energy gets absorbed into the outer atmosphere, causing it to balloon outward. As a result, all satellites less than 1,000km from Earth experience a significant increase in <keyword id="23473319" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atmospheric-drag" source="keywords">atmospheric drag</keyword>. This is a force that disrupts their orbit and causes them to fall towards the planet's surface. Notable satellites in this region include the International Space Station and the Starlink constellation. These satellites have thrusters to counteract this effect, but these corrections can be expensive. Low Earth orbit also contains many university satellites, such as the Binar CubeSats. Cube satellites are rarely equipped with tools that can adjust their altitude, so they're entirely at the mercy of space weather. <h2>What happened to Binar? </h2> The Binar Space Program is a satellite research program operating out of Curtin University. It aims to advance our understanding of the Solar System and lower the barrier for operating in space. The program began operations with its first satellite, Binar-1, in September 2021. This was less than a year into solar cycle 25 when solar activity was relatively low. In these conditions, the ten-centimetre cube satellite started at an altitude of 420km and survived a full 364 days in orbit. The program's follow-up mission - Binar-2, 3, and 4 - were three equally sized CubeSats. However, they were expected to last approximately six months owing to the extra surface area from new deployable solar arrays and a forecast increase in solar activity. Instead, they only made it to two months before burning up. While cube satellite missions are relatively cheap, the premature ending of a mission will always be costly. This is even more true for commercial satellites, highlighting the need for more accurate space weather forecasting. The good news is the Sun will calm down again. Despite the current unexpectedly high solar activity, it will likely slow down by 2026, and is expected to return to a solar minimum in 2030. While this was not an explicit goal of the mission, the Binar Space Program has now poignantly demonstrated the dramatic effects of solar activity on space operations. While the untimely loss of Binar-2, 3 and 4 was unfortunate, work has already begun on future missions. They are expected to launch into far more forgiving space weather. (The Conversation).

Right now, the Sun is far more active than predicted - and small satellites are paying the price

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's new amphibious assault ship is massive, unusual, and a bit of a mystery.</li><li>It's a noteworthy addition to the Chinese navy, seemingly capable of fulfilling various purposes and missions.</li></ul>China's shipbuilding industry has been hard at work on a new class of amphibious assault ships, building the first ship of the class at an astonishingly quick pace.But the purpose of the large, advanced Type 076 warship may serve is still something of a mystery. In fact, there are still plenty of unknowns surrounding this unusual vessel.Satellite images, provided to Business Insider by the Center of Strategic and International Studies, show <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/BrianTHart/status/1819123294924148894">shipbuilding progress on the Type 76 amphibious assault ship</a>, also known as the Yulan-class, in Shanghai's Changxing Island Shipbuilding Base. The images, dated July 4, capture a variety of details about the vessel.Compared to its Type 075, Yushen-class predecessor, there appear to be a number of notable differences. Perhaps most apparent is the size. The Type 076 is much longer and larger than the Type 075, and when it is completed, it will be the largest amphibious assault ship in the world, easily exceeding its US and Japanese counterparts, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-massive-next-generation-amphibious-assault-ship-takes-shape">CSIS analysis of the new vessel</a>.<div type="image" title="A satellite image showing China's new amphibious assault ship being built in a shipyard. There is a text overlay showing the length of the trench for launching aircraft." height="2250" width="4000" msid="112590850" hostid="261" sizebytes="366418"></div>The benefits of a larger warship include a potential capacity for more aircraft, more space to host a variety of personnel aboard, and internal storage space for other assets.But perhaps the aspect of the Type 076 that stands out most is that it appears to feature a catapult launching system for fixed-wing aircraft, technology also featured on China's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-newest-aircraft-carrier-seen-with-aircraft-mock-ups-images-2024-4">new CNS Fujian aircraft carrier</a>, which features an electromagnetic aircraft launch system like the newest US aircraft carriers, the Ford-class ships."This is not something that we've seen before," Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS, told Business Insider. "No other country has an LHA that has a catapult system on it," he said, referring to a landing helicopter assault ship. This capability would put the warship somewhere in between a traditional assault ship and an aircraft carrier.<div type="image" title="A US fighter jet launches off an aircraft carrier with a jet fuel blur behind it." height="3036" width="4812" msid="112590856" hostid="261" sizebytes="314800"></div>The addition of a catapult launch system on the Type 076 suggests, Funaiole added, that China is confident in that technology despite just introducing it on the Fujian. But it remains unclear what types of combat jets China would launch off the Type 076 or if those aircraft would be manned at all.With the Fujian, China made a technological leap from the ski-jump-style aircraft launch systems of its earlier carriers to advanced electromagnetic catapults, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-more-to-learn-to-match-us-2024-5">completely skipping over steam-powered catapults</a> in the process.<div type="image" title="A J-15 fighter taking off from aircraft carrier Shandong" height="4340" width="6509" msid="112590859" hostid="261" sizebytes="671206"></div>China could use the catapult system, as experts and top China watchers have suggested, to launch unmanned aerial vehicles. But if it can, despite operational and technological constraints, launch manned aircraft, that would make the Type 76 almost a hybrid, mini-carrier of sorts, filling an unusual role. The catapults, wide flight deck, and clear runway would support that, though it's not easy.Bryan Clark, a former US Navy officer and defense expert at the Hudson Institute, explained that China likely wants the capability to launch long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, and the new catapult is a "creative" way to do so for some of its drones.China's military operates a variety of strike and reconnaissance drones, and years ago, as CSIS notes in its analysis, photos surfaced of what looked like drones on a catapult test track. And at the Changxing facility, apparent unmanned aerial vehicle mock-ups have been seen at a testing facility, though the purpose and intent is unclear. Per Funaiole, it's most likely that the biggest role of the Type 76, at least initially, will be better integration with regard to how China uses its UAVs with naval operations.But as important as its capabilities is just how fast the Type 076 was built."I think it is as important, if not more important, to emphasize how mind-bogglingly impressive China's ability to build ships is," Funaiole said, noting that while the exact timeline of its construction is unclear, China started building the 076, likely prioritizing it, while finishing the new dry dock it was in.It's just a small example of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-us-navy-shipbuilding-projects-are-delayed-by-years-2024-4">capacity and size of China's shipbuilding power</a>. The big takeaway from the Type 076's building, Clark said, is it shows how once China's "got a hot production line" and is "able to leverage commercial shipbuilding capacity essentially for military ship construction," it "can build ships, like a Type 076, pretty quickly."<div type="image" title="A satellite image shows China's new amphibious assault ship being built alongside other vessels." height="2250" width="4000" msid="112590855" hostid="261" sizebytes="592650"></div>Despite how unusual the Type 76 appears to be, the US certainly could've accomplished a vessel of this nature, Funaiole said.But the US has "leaned quite heavily and rightfully so on supercarriers," Funaiole said, which are inherently versatile, carry a variety of aircraft, and can conduct a diverse range of missions.The US also has America-class and Wasp-class <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-assault-ship-rushed-red-sea-fight-meant-cruisers-destroyers-2024-5">amphibious assault ships</a> for other types of missions. "There might not necessarily be a need for this kind of platform" in the US Navy, he added.There are questions about the role of the Type 076 in a conflict scenario. It could, for instance, play a part in an invasion or blockade of Taiwan, or support the use of drones and helicopters for surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, and other reconnaissance.But according to Clark, the Type 076 is most likely more aligned with China's goal of becoming a blue water Navy, capable of power projection far from its own shores. Perhaps that flexibility is exactly what China wants — a ship that could complete a variety of missions and function as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-china-wants-to-build-aircraft-carriers-2024-6">a key addition to its growing naval power</a>.

China is rapidly building an unusual assault ship with an apparent catapult system for launching planes, but its purpose is still a mystery

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Happy Veterans Day, and thanks to all those who have served! Diet starts Monday, as they say, so why not take some advice from Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees. He spoke to Business Insider about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drew-brees-simple-wellness-rules-2024-11">five simple wellness rules he lives by</a>.In today's big story, Silicon Valley is getting excited about what Donald Trump's second term <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-could-help-deregulate-tech-amid-a-trump-victory-2024-11">could mean for its businesses</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: The Wall Streeters advising Trump's transition team <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-advisor-trump-lutnick-schwarzman-warsh-federal-reserve-2024-11">on key economic appointments</a>.</li><li>Tech: Check out our Tesla salary database that shows how Elon Musk courts 'hardcore' workers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-salary-database-elon-musk-pay-strategy-2024-11">with potentially lucrative stock grants</a>.</li><li>Business: The anxiety over high prices has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-saving-inflation-cost-of-living-crisis-investing-401k-pensions-2024-11">some Americans oversaving</a>.</li></ul>But first, time to get things going again.If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><h3 id="7fa5f018-5b05-4a37-a8dc-d3f89138bcb3">The big story</h3><h2 id="5fd547b9-ec52-41fc-8e08-4f4b27dd8097">United States of Startups</h2><div type="image" title="Photo illustration of laptop, stacks of coins, stars and stripes" height="960" width="1920" msid="115186105" hostid="261" sizebytes="101980"></div>The startup community is ready to be let off its leash.VCs and founders are hopeful about what they anticipate to be a much looser environment for building and dealmaking under President-elect Donald Trump.Tech was always viewed as a beneficiary of the deregulation expected in Trump's second term. But Elon Musk potentially playing a role in the Trump administration means <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-could-help-deregulate-tech-amid-a-trump-victory-2024-11">Silicon Valley could benefit even more</a>, writes Business Insider's Samantha Stokes, Riddhi Kanetkar, and Helen Li.One VC compared Musk streamlining the government to a "chainsaw through calcified butter."Even those who weren't rooting for Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-trump-return-startups-venture-capital-2024-11">see benefits to a potential hands-off approach to their space</a>, which has faced turmoil in recent years.After years of big funding rounds, high-profile deals, and flashy IPOs, the startup environment has been much more rocky recently. There are many reasons for that — high interest rates, an uncertain economy, the market being somewhat overvalued — but a Biden administration that took a hard line on M&amp;A played a key role.FTC commissioner Lina Khan's attempt to block multiple deals has chilled the industry. Acquisitions are startups' most viable exit opportunity with the IPO window largely closed.The industry became somewhat stuck in place. Money tied up in startups couldn't be reinvested, and employees working at young companies waited for a liquidity event.<div type="image" title="Trump in shadow" height="1279" width="1920" msid="115186097" hostid="261" sizebytes="20896"></div>Trump's impact on the industry's hottest segment — artificial intelligence — isn't as clear.The space is already evolving as some of the biggest companies in the world are picking sides and consolidating power with partnerships and investments in high-profile startups. That was evident last week with a report that Amazon <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-gaining-on-openai-ai-market-2024-11">was considering investing in Anthropic again</a>.The US is already investigating Microsoft and Nvidia over their AI dealings. Trump's deregulation approach could free up the space.But regulators launched investigations and filed lawsuits against Big Tech during Trump's first term. The president-elect also has a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-presidency-affect-big-tech-2024-11">complicated relationship with tech giants</a>, even threatening to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-mark-zuckerberg-sent-prison-elected-truth-social-2024-7">send Meta's Mark Zuckerberg to jail</a>. And Vice President-elect JD Vance previously said Khan is "doing a pretty good job" in her antitrust enforcement.Musk has also had run-ins with Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and OpenAI's Sam Altman, and his AI startup, xAI, is looking to compete in the space.And then there's Trump's immigration policy. The president-elect pledged to conduct mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. It's unclear if and how he might reshape the legal immigration system <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-immigration-policy-ai-tech-worker-shortage-2024-11">that places high-skilled workers from outside the US in tech jobs</a>, including those in AI.<h3 id="77f31a4c-8462-4e3d-a71f-838cb79493fb">News brief</h3><h2 id="1fcd294b-3f53-425f-9f20-4093e8623b59">Top headlines</h2><ul><li>The coming <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coming-reign-only-child-americans-fewer-babies-siblings-costs-2024-11">reign of the only child</a>.</li><li>Elon Musk has named his <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-pushes-rick-scott-for-senate-majority-leader-2024-11">top choice for Senate majority leader</a>.</li><li>Forget swing states. Here's how the generations <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-generations-voted-trump-harris-gen-z-gen-x-boomers-2024-11">flipped on Election Day</a>.</li><li>What needs to go right for Intel, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-dow-jones-ai-chip-lag-2024-11">and what happens if it doesn't</a>.</li><li>Trump's plan for Social Security will help baby boomers in the short run and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-cuts-social-security-boomers-benefit-fund-depletion-2024-11">cut benefits for anyone younger</a>.</li></ul><h2 id="8120060b-ae66-48dc-b149-f0489a30ffa2">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="Donald Trump and the Wall St. sign" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115186103" hostid="261" sizebytes="227372"></div><ol><li>Who Trump is turning to on Wall Street for advice. Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick is co-chair of Donald Trump's transition team, and he's looking to his Wall Street peers for help. Apollo CEO Marc Rowan, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and Charles Schwab are reportedly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-advisor-trump-lutnick-schwarzman-warsh-federal-reserve-2024-11">some of the people lending their expertise to Lutnick</a>.</li><li>Citadel Securities just poached a 20-year Microsoft vet. Herb Sutter is joining Ken Griffin's market maker <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-citadel-securities-hired-coding-expert-microsoft-herb-sutter-2024-11">in a new tech leadership role</a>. Sutter is an expert in C++, the coding language that underpins most of Citadel Securities' technology.</li><li>Bitcoin's big hopes for Trump 2.0. The self-described "crypto president" flipped from cynic to cheerleader during his campaign. Now that he's headed back to the White House, crypto supporters hope for <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bitcoin-price-crypto-industry-donald-trump-election-reserve-regulation-sec-2024-11">regulatory overhaul and an expanded mainstream role</a> for the digital currency.</li></ol><h2 id="f4b54806-7f81-450c-ba32-92560d4fae9b">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="Elon Musk" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115186106" hostid="261" sizebytes="652194"></div><ol><li>Inside Tesla's high-risk, high-reward compensation strategy. BI secured access to an internal Tesla salary database covering nearly 100,000 employees as of December 2021. The data reveals Elon Musk's pay strategy: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-salary-database-elon-musk-pay-strategy-2024-11">Lower salaries, bigger stock grants</a>.</li><li>How Reddit went mainstream. Not long ago, Reddit wasn't for everyone. It was a dark, weird little corner that prided itself on free speech but could quickly get ugly for users. Today, Reddit's community-driven content attracts users who would rather rely on human input than AI. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-mainstream-google-traffic-stock-revenue-human-users-2024-11">In that sense, it's a bit like the new Google</a>.</li><li>Behind Nvidia's plans to build robot brains. Nvidia robotics executive Rev Lebaredian told BI about the chipmaker's plans to tackle its newest frontier, bridging generative AI and physical robotics. The secret? <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rev-lebaredian-spearheads-nvidias-omniverse-push-in-ai-and-robotics-2024-11">Visualize the future, then build it</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="9260fa45-d397-4b3c-b4f8-4bb193976216">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="woman anxious in a pile of money with a house on top." height="846" width="1128" msid="115186104" hostid="261" sizebytes="133984"></div><ol><li>The high cost-of-living has some Americans going overboard with saving. Plenty of people in the US live paycheck to paycheck, but a growing cohort is doing the opposite. Despite having solid finances, anxiety about high prices has them <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-saving-inflation-cost-of-living-crisis-investing-401k-pensions-2024-11">saving more than is recommended</a>. Stockpiling cash could ultimately cost them as they miss out on investment gains.</li><li>Don't poll the election; bet on it. In the weeks leading up to his victory, polls showed a virtual tie between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Yet prediction markets showed a solid Trump lead, proving what proponents have long argued: they can be more accurate than traditional polling. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/betting-markets-polls-trump-election-win-polymarket-kalshi-2024-11">Prediction markets' biggest cheerleaders explained why</a>.</li><li>Economists say Trump will give Americans the very thing they voted against. High prices helped Trump get elected. Experts say his proposals of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-election-win-high-inflation-risk-tariffs-deportations-taxes-2024-11">lower taxes, higher tariffs, and mass deportations will be inflationary</a>. It could also make the Fed's recent rate-cut relief painfully short-lived if it's forced to hike rates again in response.</li></ol><h2 id="9f5d80ac-3466-429f-a50a-2ffbb70c65ff">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>It's Veterans Day. The nation's largest commemorative parade takes place in New York City.</li><li>The World Meteorological Organization releases the "State of the Climate" update at the UN's climate-change summit in Azerbaijan.</li></ul>The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London.

Startups are ready to thrive under Trump, but some uncertainty remains in a key corner of the space

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch-risky-polaris-dawn-mission-first-commercial-spacewalk-radiation-2024-8">SpaceX launched the Polaris Dawn mission</a> Tuesday morning, sending four people on an ambitious flight.</li><li>The private mission aims to fly through radiation belts and conduct the first commercial spacewalk.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-polaris-dawn-mission-launch-2024-8">SpaceX just launched four people</a> on its most daring human spaceflight yet, a mission called Polaris Dawn.The crew features a billionaire, a pilot, and two SpaceX employees. After an early morning launch on Tuesday, they're floating in the company's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-says-next-spacex-flight-will-have-better-toilets-2021-9">Crew Dragon spaceship</a> in Earth's orbit.None of them are NASA-grade <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-warns-tourists-that-spaceflight-is-uncomfortable-risky-2021-8">professional astronauts</a>, but they're scheduled to fly further from Earth than anyone has traveled in over 50 years, since the Apollo missions.They're also planning to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polaris-dawn-spacewalk-spacex-crew-dragon-2024-9">conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk</a>, taking the risk of opening their entire Crew Dragon spaceship to the vacuum of space.Here's who's on board this bold, historic mission.<h2 id="688a5c11-20ce-406b-89c2-4f98790acc82">Jared Isaacman, mission commander</h2><div type="image" title="jared isaacman spacex crew dragon" height="2560" width="3840" msid="113245844" hostid="261" sizebytes="991006"></div><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jared-isaacman-net-worth-career-spacex-polaris-dawn-2024-8">Jared Isaacman</a> is the billionaire bankrolling the mission and serving as its commander. This isn't the 41-year-old's first rodeo.In 2021, he funded and flew on the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-civilian-crew-zip-ties-sedatives-orbit-2021-9">first-ever all-civilian spaceflight</a>, called Inspiration4, and brought three people with him to circle Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.That mission's name, Inspiration4, derives from Shift4, the payment-processing company that Isaacman founded at age 16 in his parents' basement after dropping out of high school. He is still the CEO.Compared to other space-faring billionaires — like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-galactic-richard-branson-spaceflight-2021-7">flashy Richard Branson</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-jeff-bezos-interrupts-william-shatner-space-speech-spray-champagne-2021-10">champagne-spraying Jeff Bezos</a> — Isaacman's tone is much more serious.For starters, he's a relatively private person. He's repeatedly declined to say how much money he's spent on his missions with SpaceX.He also has some technical qualifications for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-galactic-blue-origin-spacex-commercial-space-flights-tourism-cost-2023-7">commercial astronaut</a> gig: He's an accomplished pilot, reporting over 7,000 flight hours. Isaacman's business repertoire also includes Draken International, a private aircraft provider and pilot-training company that he founded in 2012 and sold to Blackdstone in 2019. The sale, along with taking Shift4 public, made him a billionaire.Messaging around both <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-final-members-of-the-all-civilian-inspiration4mission-revealed-2021-4">Inspiration4</a> and Polaris Dawn has been heavily focused on fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as well as making technological advancements in human spaceflight."I just knew it was a pretty significant moment in history, and it comes with some responsibility," Isaacman told BI ahead of the Inspiration4 launch in 2021. He said the St. Jude fundraising was an effort to "take care of some of the problems that we have here on Earth, so we earn the right to go and explore among the stars."Isaacman has also approached NASA, offering to fund a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-spacex-announcement-billionaire-spaceflight-hubble-space-telescope-2022-9">Crew Dragon mission to boost the Hubble Space Telescope's orbit</a> and therefore extend its lifespan, since it's currently expected to fall from orbit in the mid-2030s. NASA has declined the offer for now.Isaacman lives in New Jersey with his wife, Monica Isaacman, and their two daughters, according to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://nypost.com/2024/09/10/us-news/jared-isaacman-nj-high-school-dropout-turned-tech-billionaire-set-to-conduct-first-private-spacewalk/">New York Post</a>.<h2 id="826614e6-dace-47db-8f31-d7d755ada4e7">Sarah Gillis, mission specialist</h2><div type="image" title="sarah gillis smiling woman in white spacesuit and open helmet with gray and black trim" height="1667" width="2500" msid="113245841" hostid="261" sizebytes="137418"></div>As the engineer overseeing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-spacex-first-civilians-trained-for-spaceflight-photos-2021-9">SpaceX's astronaut training program</a>, Sarah Gillis first got to know Isaacman when she was preparing him and his crewmates for the Inspiration4 flight."You spend a huge amount of your job pretending to be an astronaut and thinking through what they would care about," Gillis, aged 30, said in a briefing on August 19. "I cannot wait to actually test this in space and bring back knowledge to the engineers."Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, Gillis was on track to be a violinist like her mother until her junior year of high school, when she attended a university guest lecture by Joe Tanner, a former NASA astronaut and a mechanical engineering professor. She told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/07/22/spacex-colorado-astronauts-scott-poteet-sarah-gillis-polaris-dawn/">The Denver Post</a> that she stayed to talk with Tanner, who became her mentor as she pursued aerospace engineering.Gillis started with an internship at SpaceX in 2015 and quickly ascended through the ranks of the company's astronaut training program and mission control operations. She's still a skilled violinist and an avid hiker.Gillis's husband, Lewis, is also a SpaceX engineer. He helped build Dragon's propulsion system."So I know exactly what goes into the testing and the design and the rigor behind absolutely everything in the spacecraft," Gillis said, adding that she was "very, very excited to fly on my favorite Dragon spacecraft."She's serving as the mission specialist on Polaris Dawn, assigned to leave Dragon on Thursday to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-cosmonaut-space-littering-during-spacewalk-nasa-says-harmless-2023-5">conduct the first commercial spacewalk</a> alongside Isaacman. This is her first time in space.<h2 id="3fe1acf4-ea8f-4279-9bc9-30d402b3c54d">Anna Menon, mission specialist and medical officer</h2><div type="image" title="Crewmember Anna Menon of Polaris Dawn smiling and wearing sunglasses" height="1500" width="2004" msid="113245851" hostid="261" sizebytes="165860"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-parenting-tips-career-vs-dad-time-2024-3">Anna Menon</a> has dreamed of going to space since she was a child."I grew up in Houston, another Space City, and I was exposed to space on a field trip and got to experience a day in the life of an astronaut and a flight controller in mission control," Menon said during the August 19 briefing. "And I fell in love with the industry." Polaris Dawn is the 38-year-old's first time in space. She's an engineer at SpaceX and is serving as a mission specialist and medical officer for Polaris Dawn. "I think working at SpaceX gives me a tremendous amount of competence going to space," Menon said. Before joining SpaceX, Menon worked at NASA and helped oversee International Space Station operations as a biomedical flight controller. She's not the only one in her family headed to space. Menon's husband, Anil, is one of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronauts-hiring-resume-selection-manager-2024-3">NASA's new astronauts</a>. The couple have two children, James and Grace.During her trip in space, Anna plans to get in a bit of reading. "I'm going to read a children's book I wrote, '<a target="_blank" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744559/kisses-from-space-by-anna-menon-and-keri-vasek-illustrated-by-andy-harkness/">Kisses from Space</a>,' to both my kids as well as some of the brave kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital," she <a target="_blank" href="https://people.com/billionaire-jared-isaacman-leads-four-civilian-astronauts-historic-polaris-dawn-mission-8709509">told People</a>. The live feed storytime is part of the mission's fundraising for the pediatric hospital, which treats childhood cancers and other diseases.<h2 id="3fce8d66-9204-4222-b02b-13d7f457607b">Scott "Kidd" Poteet, mission pilot</h2><div type="image" title="Polaris Dawn crewmember Scott Poteet against a white background" height="1500" width="2151" msid="113245842" hostid="261" sizebytes="78440"></div>Though he's flown fighter jets for the US Air Force, Scott Poteet has never been to space. The 50-year-old <a target="_blank" href="https://polarisprogram.com/team/scott-poteet/">mission</a> pilot <a target="_blank" href="https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/space/2024/08/16/scott-kidd-poteet-talks-about-polaris-dawn">suffers</a> from motion sickness, but managed to overcome that in his combat missions and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.airforce.com/thunderbirds/overview">performing</a> aerobatic maneuvers with the US Air Force's Thunderbirds.Poteet told <a target="_blank" href="https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/space/2024/08/16/scott-kidd-poteet-talks-about-polaris-dawn">Spectrum News</a> his route to becoming an astronaut wasn't typical, at least not by today's standards. His grades weren't the best in school, and he doesn't have a background in engineering or science. Nevertheless, Isaacman invited Poteet, who goes by "Kidd," to pilot Polaris Dawn."On a personal level, flying fighter jets in the Air Force for 20 years, combat experience, operational test experience, leading many red flag exercises, and fighter weapons school, I can tell you without a doubt this has been some of the most challenging training that I've ever experienced," Poteet said about his training for Polaris Dawn during the briefing on August 19.Poteet lives in Monument, Colorado with his wife and has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8QPSBUMRo8/?img_index=1">three</a> children. At least one hopes to follow in his footsteps. "My 12-year-old son absolutely plans to go to space," he recently told <a target="_blank" href="https://magazine.unh.edu/issue/winter-2023/to-the-stars/">UNH Magazine</a>. "He believes it will be commonplace in his lifetime."

Meet SpaceX's Polaris Dawn crew: The daring 4 who are in space on the most ambitious private space mission in history

<ul><li><keyword id="21976092" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="apple-intelligence" source="keywords">Apple Intelligence</keyword> was in focus during <keyword id="13674434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iphone-16-launch" source="Orion">iPhone 16 launch</keyword></li><li><keyword id="19894961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple" source="keywords">Apple</keyword> Intelligence brings various features for <keyword id="19912026" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iphone" source="keywords">iPhone</keyword> users</li><li>Apple's voice assistant, <keyword id="20024792" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="siri" source="keywords">Siri</keyword>, is much smarter now</li></ul> Apple hosted its much-awaited “It’s Glowtime” event today (September 9) at Cupertino, California. During the event, we all witnessed the launch of the <keyword id="13667472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iphone-16" source="Orion">iPhone 16</keyword> lineup. But this time’s Apple event was not just about what’s on the outside, but it was also about what’s on the inside. The Cupertino-based tech giant also unveiled Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16. This makes the iPhone 16, the first ever iPhone to get AI superpowers. In times when companies like OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are already focusing heavily on AI, Apple’s entry in the space was awaited for a long time. Now, Apple’s iOS 18 is set to take user experience to new heights by introducing powerful AI-driven features under the banner of Apple Intelligence. For the unversed, Apple Intelligence will only be available for iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users. The features will be available as a free software update. Let us take a look at what Apple Intelligence has to offer. <h2>Smarter Text-Based Tools: Proofreading, summarising, and more</h2>One of the most noticeable upgrades is AI tools designed to assist with text-based content. These include Proofread, Rewrite, and Summarise, which will be available across apps like Notes, Mail, and Messages. Whether you need to tidy up your grammar, generate a more polished version of a message, or summarise lengthy text, these tools will make managing written content simpler and more efficient. In addition to smarter text tools, Notification Summary will use AI to group and summarise multiple notifications from various apps. Whether from native Apple apps or third-party services, this feature will give you a quick overview of what’s important, helping you stay focused without being overwhelmed by constant alerts. In addition to this, keeping tracks of your emails will also get easier. Instead of seeing the first few sentences of an email, you will be able to summaries, helping you understand them and scan them better. <h2>AI-Powered photo editing and more</h2>The Photos app is also receiving some impressive upgrades, starting with the Clean-up feature. This tool will let you easily remove unwanted objects from the background of your images. Thanks to Apple Intelligence, the app will intelligently fill in the space left behind by the removed item, creating a seamless final picture. Another exciting addition is Movie Memory, which will allow users to generate a short video from their existing photos and videos. You can simply describe the type of video you want, and the AI will create it for you, making it easier to turn memories into creative video clips. <h2>Search in Photos: Easier access to your favourite moments</h2>Searching for a specific picture will also get easier with Apple Intelligence. With Search in Photos, Apple Intelligence will be able to process your description and locate images that match what you’re looking for. Whether it’s a holiday snap or a specific moment, finding the right photo will be quicker and simpler. Apple also announced that the feature would work for videos as well. In fact, you can search the exact moment in a video, just by typing. <h2>Create custom emojis</h2>Apple is also adding a fun new tool for those who love personalising their messages: Genmoji. This feature will let you create custom emojis directly from the keyboard in the Messages app. By describing the emoji you want, Apple Intelligence will generate multiple versions, giving you options to choose from before sending them in a chat. <h2>Generate creative images</h2>Another AI-powered tool that’s a part of the iPhone 16 is Image Playground, which will allow users to generate custom images based on a text prompt. This feature will be built into apps like Notes and will also have its own dedicated app, giving you even more creative control over the visuals on your device. <h2>Siri gets smarter</h2>With the help of Apple Intelligence, Siri has now gained enhanced natural language processing, enabling it to hold more human-like conversations. Siri now also offers deeper in-app control, allowing it to manage more complex requests with ease. Whether you need to organise files, find information, or perform detailed tasks, Siri will be even more capable of handling whatever you throw at it. Moreover, Siri is now capable of tracking user interactions even when they falter in their speech, maintaining context across multiple requests. With its expanded product knowledge, Siri can also answer a wide range of questions about Apple device features and settings. Whether you need to know how to record your screen or share a Wi-Fi password, Siri has the answers at your fingertips. Siri now also has on-screen awareness and has the ability to understand and interact with what’s displayed on your screen. For instance, if you receive a text from a friend with their new address, you can simply say, “Add this address to their contact card,” and Siri will handle the task for you. In addition to this, Siri also features a sleek new design, seamlessly integrated into the system. It’s highlighted by a stylish, glowing light that encircles the edge of your screen. <h2>ChatGPT is now a part of Apple ecosystem </h2> ChatGPT’s integration with Apple made headlines when it was announced in June this year. And now, integrated directly into Siri, ChatGPT will assist with more advanced queries, giving you the option to dive deeper into topics or generate more detailed responses. Siri can utilise ChatGPT for various requests, such as inquiries about photos or documents, and you can use the Compose feature in Writing Tools to generate and create original content from the ground up. You have control over when ChatGPT is used, and you will be prompted before any of your information is shared. While ChatGPT is available to everyone for free without needing an account, subscribers can link their accounts to access premium features within these applications. <h2>Visual intelligence</h2>Apple also unveiled a new feature called Visual Intelligence. This new feature attempts to redefine how we interact with the world around us using our iPhones. Visual Intelligence is designed to provide instant information about anything you see, offering a new level of convenience and insight. For example, you can take a picture of a restaurant, and Visual Intelligence will provide details about its hours and other pertinent information. Similarly, if you snap a photo of a flyer, the system will automatically capture key details such as the title, date, and location. Visual Intelligence is also your gateway to third-party models. This means you could use it to search for a bike you spot in the street or get help with study notes by photographing them and receiving explanations or additional information. Apple's Craig Federighi explained that the feature is activated through Camera Control, a new capacitive button now included on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro. To use it, simply click and hold the button, then point your iPhone’s camera at an object or scene of interest. Apple has not yet specified the exact release date for Visual Intelligence, but it is expected to roll out alongside the Camera Control feature later this year.

iPhone 16 Apple Intelligence features include a smarter Siri, AI-powered photo editing and more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Internal resistance almost scuttled the development of Israel's Iron Dome air defense system.</li><li>Some of the IDF brass feared that missile defense would lead to a defensive mentality.</li></ul>Israel today has the world's most famous — and tested — missile defenses, including the legendary <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-israel-iron-dome-intercepting-hezbollah-rockets-2024">Iron Dome</a>. But opposition from the Israeli military almost scuttled these defenses decades earlier in what amounts to a cautionary tale about the difficulties of developing weapons that could someday prove essential.During the 2000s, the Israel Defense Forces decided that the best form of missile defense was a "counterforce" strategy to destroy enemy rockets before they could be launched, according to a new <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/rusi-defence-systems/lessons-israeli-experience-air-and-missile-defence-part-i">report</a> by the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, on the lessons of Israel's missile defense program. The IDF's "view of the threat was underpinned by an assumption that Israeli precision strikes could rapidly reduce the number of incoming threats in a major conflict, even if it could not eliminate them completely."Some of the IDF brass feared that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/huge-air-battles-show-us-needs-most-missile-war-china-2024-5">missile defense</a> would lead to a defensive mentality, rather than taking the war to the enemy. But the problem with that came down to finding those rockets and launchers before they were fired. Hamas and Hezbollah hid their weapons in tunnels and in civilian areas, while striking Iranian missiles was difficult because Iran is a thousand miles from Israel."A counterforce strike campaign can be efficient or fast, but rarely both," warned Sidharth Kaushal, a RUSI researcher, and Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, the former head of Israel's air and missile defense system.Israel's integrated air and missile defense, or IAMD, is a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-israel-defense-systems-weapons-in-action-2024-4">layered system</a>: Arrow-2 and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-used-new-arrow-system-first-time-stop-enemy-missile-2023-11">Arrow-3</a> long-range interceptors to destroy ballistic missiles while they're in space before descending through the atmosphere, medium-range <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-iron-dome-davids-sling-arrow-network-shield-israel-threats-2023-10">David's Sling interceptors</a> to hit short-range ballistic missiles and large artillery rockets, and the Iron Dome's small rockets that intercept short-range rockets, howitzer shells and mortar rounds.Yet Israel's military establishment — the Israel Defense Forces —balked at diverting resources from traditional weapons, such as tanks and strike aircraft, to missile defense when the idea was conceived in the 1980s. "Critics questioned the system's technical feasibility and costs, and whether it would deliver the promised strategic benefits," Kaushal and Kochav wrote. Indeed, there were similar criticisms in the US as to whether President Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" missile defense would work.IDF commanders then had a recent victory on which base to their argument: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-massive-air-combat-win-in-the-1982-lebanon-war-2024-5">Operation Mole Cricket 19</a> during the 1982 Lebanon War. Using drones and strike aircraft, the Israeli Air Force wiped out 29 Syrian surface-to-air missile batteries in two hours without suffering any losses. If the IAF could do that to anti-aircraft missiles, why not ballistic missile launchers?But politicians such as Yitzhak Rabin, a former Israeli chief of the General Staff, in the 1990s persevered, with the help of generous US funding that allayed IDF concerns about resources. An Israeli-built missile defense system also became more desirable after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein fired <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-is-retiring-patriot-missile-systems-that-could-help-ukraine-2024-5">Scud ballistic missiles</a> at Israel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War: Israel had to rely on American-manned Patriot interceptor missiles stationed in Israel to stop the Scuds — hardly any of the 40 Scuds were intercepted. Israel's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-is-retiring-patriot-missile-systems-that-could-help-ukraine-2024-5">disappointment in the Patriot</a> was one factor that spurred them to field their own air defenses.<div type="image" title="Iran and its regional allies may launch larger attacks from multiple directions to pierce Israel's capable air defenses like the Iron Dome." height="1333" width="2000" msid="113548361" hostid="261" sizebytes="107316"></div>Israeli missile defense also evolved as threats changed. Originally, there was the Arrow missile system to intercept ballistic missiles. "The system achieved its first successful interception of a ballistic missile in 1990, marking a significant technical milestone," RUSI noted. "Despite successful tests, the Arrow project continued to face challenges, including technical issues, budget overruns and delays."But then the rise of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-killed-top-hamas-commanders-gaza-not-those-wants-most-2024-4">Hamas in Gaza</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hezbollah-decided-months-ago-switch-from-cellphones-pagers-just-exploded-2024-9">Hezbollah in Lebanon</a> meant Israel was threatened by short-range rockets and artillery that the high-altitude Arrow wasn't designed to intercept. By 2011, Israel fielded Iron Dome, which has proven mostly — though not totally — successful in identifying and intercepting rockets before they hit populated areas.But some still insisted that the best defense was a good offense, meaning some kind of control of the terrain from which rockets were fired or destruction of the adversary's ability to fire them. "Critics pointed out that while Iron Dome effectively mitigated the immediate threat of rocket attacks, it did not address the root causes of the conflict nor provide a long-term solution to the security challenges facing Israel," Kaushal and Kochav wrote. "Ultimately, an argument that air and missile defenses introduced a Maginot mentality within the force persistently came to the fore," in a reference to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-story-of-the-maginot-line-2015-4">French defensive lines</a> that Nazi armies bypassed at the start of World War IIFrom the 1960s to the 1980s, missile defense was often viewed as <a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/archive/6637060/nation-an-abm-primer/">unfeasible</a>, a quixotic attempt to essentially hit a bullet with another bullet. But technology has progressed to the point where missile defense is now seen as an indispensable capability. Israel's missile defense system faced its most difficult test in April, when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-israel-dragged-shadow-war-from-darkness-now-more-dangerous-2024-4">Iran launched</a> hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. The IDF claimed around 99% were intercepted. But Iran had telegraphed an attack was coming, so Israel had time to prepare. Forces from multiple nations, including the US, Britain and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arab-states-iran-israel-air-missile-drone-attack-saudi-jordan-2024-4">Jordan</a>, also helped intercept the Iranian attack.Dozens of nations operate Patriot, S-300 and other air defense weapons capable of shooting down missiles, aircraft and large drones. In particular, Ukraine has amassed vast experience at intercepting Russian missiles, including <a target="_blank" href="https://kyivindependent.com/air-defenses-intercepted-nearly-half-of-russias-kinzhal-hypersonic-missiles/">hypersonic missiles</a> that Russia claimed were unstoppable.Missile defense will always be difficult, not least because it is cheaper for an adversary to build more offensive missiles than it is for the defender to intercept them all. Integrated air and missile programs "are uniquely susceptible to delays and cost overruns given the inherent complexity of the challenges they meet," Kaushal and Kochav warned. This problem becomes worse when missile defenses like Israel's have to cope with multiple threats, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and artillery rockets.Ultimately, the virtue of missile defense may be that it is the least bad alternative. "The issue with counterarguments about the cost of air defense, then, is not that they are categorically wrong, but rather that in many cases there are few alternatives other than a politically unsustainable doctrine of preemption, particularly when a country lacks strategic depth," Kaushal and Kochav wrote.Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twitter.com/@mipeck1">Twitter</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mipeck/">LinkedIn</a>.

Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system almost didn't get built

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-37b-vs-china-shenlong-space-plane-2024-8">Space planes</a> could become a reality if one company achieves its goal.</li><li>Radian Aerospace has plans to test its Radian One space plane over the next few years.</li></ul>One company is reviving a decades-old NASA idea to build a reusable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-lands-secretive-space-plane-after-months-in-orbit-2023-5">space plane</a> that could shuttle people and small payloads to space for cheap.In the 1990s, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-invest-mars-pulsed-plasma-rocket-shorten-space-time-travel-2024-7">NASA</a> looked into developing a space plane prototype called X-33, but it scrapped the mission in 2001 citing technical issues.Seattle-based <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-startup-radian-seeks-funding-for-catapult-based-spaceplane-2020-11">Radian Aerospace</a> is now trying to finish what NASA started by building Radian One, a space plane that will be fully reusable up to 100 times and could carry up to five astronauts at a time.Livingston Holder, who was the program manager of X-33 for NASA, is the company's chief technology officer and is overseeing the new effort.Holder <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/science/radian-spaceplane-rocket-sled-spc/index.html">told CNN</a> that enough has changed since 2001 to make creating a space plane a more realistic goal."We've got <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-big-falcon-spaceship-construction-musk-mars-missions-2018-9">composite materials</a> that are lighter, tougher and can take a larger thermal range than we had back then," he said. "And propulsion is better than anything we had, in terms of how efficiently it burns propellant and how much the systems weigh."The company raised nearly $28 million to build Radian One in 2022 and told CNN that it plans to test a scale model this year.<h2 id="5a24bfe5-d014-4f2f-afcd-e0b40dec20c3">Why we need space planes</h2><div type="image" title="A rendering of NASA's proposed X-33 space plane" height="786" width="1041" msid="113007147" hostid="261" sizebytes="65138"></div>Demand for launching things into space — like satellites, which make everything from weather forecasting to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gps-jamming-now-impacting-transatlantic-flights-russia-electronic-warfare-2024-6">GPS</a> possible — is only increasing.Rockets remain the best option for doing that, even though they're "terribly inefficient and expensive," according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/ideal-rocket-equation/">NASA.</a>A typical rocket consists of multiple stages that are expensive to build and often discarded after one use.Companies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch-risky-polaris-dawn-mission-first-commercial-spacewalk-radiation-2024-8">SpaceX</a> have revolutionized rocket technology and reduced costs with fleets of reusable rockets, like the Falcon 9.But space planes, which require less fuel and no rocket stages, could offer another cheap, and more comfortable, alternative to space travel.<h2 id="5cb73c7a-7c19-42bd-b7f9-e0324f52e25d">How Radian One could offer a cheap and comfortable ride to space</h2><div type="image" title="A rendering of the Radian One space plane shows the spacecraft in orbit above the Earth" height="1440" width="2560" msid="113007146" hostid="261" sizebytes="198734"></div>Unlike a rocket, which launches vertically, the concept for Radian One uses a rocket-powered sled.The sled would carry the plane along a two-mile-long rail, accelerating it to a speed of 537 miles per hour, and then launching it toward space.The plane would then fly the rest of the way with its own engines. Using the sled to reach launch speed reduces the amount of fuel that the space plane itself needs to carry, according to Radian's website.This airline-like ascent would be a more comfortable ride for passengers, according to Radian. The company also hopes that it could reduce the cost of spaceflight. It's unclear by how much, but for some idea, NASA hoped that its X-33 space plane would reduce the cost of sending a pound of payload into orbit from $10,000 to $1,000.Radian One wouldn't be a replacement for all rockets, though.Radian's space plane would be capable of carrying smaller payloads into space making it the equivalent of a pickup truck, he told CNN. Traditional rockets, Holder said, will likely remain for heavier payloads, making them the 18-wheelers in this analogy.A full-size plane won't take to the skies until 2028, and even then, the company doesn't expect it to reach orbit just yet. But, if successful, Radian One could eventually present a cheap option for a growing segment of space travel.

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