SpaceX to have 2 launches on Wednesday of Starlink smallsats and Maxar WorldView Legion 1 & 2 SatNews – SatNews

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Starlink 6-51 mission on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 9:24PM (UTC). LC-39AKennedy Space Center Florida, A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation SpaceXs project for space-based Internet communication system.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

SpaceX to launch Maxar WorldView Legion 1 & 2 mission for leading resolution and accuracy

Also scheduled for launch on Wednesday a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the WorldView Legion 1 & 2 mission on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 6:30PM (UTC). WorldView Legion is a constellation of Earth observation satellites built and operated by Maxar. Constellation is planned to consist of 6 satellites in both polar and mid-inclination orbits, providing 30 cm-class resolution.

Space Launch Complex 4E has witnessed the launch of 141 rockets, including 141 orbital launch attempts, while Vandenberg SFB, California, has been the site for 752 rocket launches. The launch cost is $52 Million.

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SpaceX to have 2 launches on Wednesday of Starlink smallsats and Maxar WorldView Legion 1 & 2 SatNews - SatNews

SpaceX launches advanced weather satellite for US Space Force (video) – Space.com

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SpaceX launched its second national security mission of the year Thursday (April 11).

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:25 a.m. EDT (7:25 a.m. local California time; 1425 GMT), on a mission for the U.S. Space Force called USSF-62.

USSF-62 will send the Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) satellite to low Earth orbit. WSF-M is a next-generation spacecraft that "will provide critical and actionable weather intelligence to military operations in all warfighting domains," according to BAE Systems, which developed and built the satellite.

Related:SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company

WSF-M's primary instrument is a microwave imager, which will measure sea surface winds, the strength of tropical cyclones and gather other environmental data. Also flying on the satellite is a space weather sensor provided by the U.S. government, according to BAE Systems.

"Were absolutely thrilled be out here on the Central Coast, with a superb team primed and ready to launch the USSF-62 satellite," Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader for Space Systems Command's Launch Execution Delta, said in an emailed statement. "With each national security launch, we add to Americas capabilities and improve its deterrence in the face of growing threats."

The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth safely, touching down at Vandenberg's Landing Zone 4 just under eight minutes after liftoff. It was the third launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.

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The rocket's payload fairing the "nose cone" that protects satellites during launch is also a spaceflight veteran, marking a first for a national security launch, Horne said in his statement.

USSF-62 is SpaceX's 37th launch of 2024 and its second of the year for the Space Force. A Falcon 9 launched the six-satellite USSF-124 mission from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Feb. 14.

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SpaceX launches advanced weather satellite for US Space Force (video) - Space.com

SpaceX launches Space Force weather satellite designed to take over for a program with roots to the 1960s … – Spaceflight Now

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The Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) space vehicle was successfully encapsulated April 8, 2024, ahead of its scheduled launch as the U.S. Space Force (USSF)-62 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., marking a major milestone on its upcoming launch into low Earth orbit. Image: SpaceX

SpaceX launched a military weather satellite designed to replace aging satellites from a program dating back to the 1960s. The United States Space Force-62 (USSF-62) mission featured the launch of the first Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) spacecraft.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 UTC), which was the opening of a 10-minute launch window.

The booster supporting this National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission, B1082 in the SpaceX fleet, made its third flight after previously launching the Starlink 7-9 and 7-14 missions this year.

Were absolutely thrilled be out here on the Central Coast, with a superb team primed and ready to launch the USSF-62 satellite. It has an important mission ahead of it and were excited for flight-proven Falcon 9 to deliver the satellite to orbit, said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader for the Space System Commands Launch Execution Delta, in a statement. And on this mission, were using a first-stage booster whose history is purely commercial.

About eight minutes after liftoff, B1082 touched down at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4). This was the 17th land landing in California and the 295th booster landing for SpaceX.

A significant milestone for the company on the USSF-62 mission was the use of flight-proven payload fairings, which will be a first for an NSSL mission. They previously flew on the USSF-52 mission, which featured the launch of the X-37B spaceplane from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in December 2023.

With each national security launch, we add to Americas capabilities and improve its deterrence in the face of growing threats, Horne stated.

USSF-62 was one of three missions granted to SpaceX in May 2022 as part of the NSSL Phase 2 Order Year 3 award, which collectively are valued at $309.7 million. SpaceX launched USSF-124 in February 2024 and will likely launch the SDA-Tranche 1 satellites later this year.

Ball Aerospace, the manufacturer of the WSF-M, said the spacecrafts primary payload is a passive microwave radiometer, which has been demonstrated on previous spacecraft. It also boasts a 1.8 meter antenna, which combined with the primary instrument allow the spacecraft to address so-called space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) gaps.

Its capabilities will provide valuable information for protecting the assets of the United States and its allies, primarily in ocean settings.

The WSF-M satellite is a strategic solution tailored to address three high-priority Department of Defense SBEM gaps specifically, ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity, and energetic charged particles in low Earth orbit, said David Betz, WSF-M program manager, SSC Space Sensing, in a statement. Beyond these primary capabilities, our instruments also provide vital data on sea ice characterization, soil moisture, and snow depth.

The spacecraft is based on the Ball Configurable Platform and includes a Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) sensor and an Energetic Charged Particle sensor. Ball Aerospace has been involved with other, similar spacecraft, including the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) and the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1).

According to a public FY2024 Department of Defense budget document, the WSF-M system will consist of two spacecraft. Once the first is on orbit, it will assess the level of Ocean Surface Vector Wind (OSVW) measurement uncertainty and Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) latency.

The first seeds of the program were planted back in October 2012 during whats called the Materiel Solution Analysis phase. That resulted in the Department of the Air Force issuing a request for proposals from companies in January 2017.

In November 2017, the Space and Missile Systems Center (now Space Systems Command) awarded a $93.7 million firm-fixed-price contract to Ball Aerospace for the WSF-M project with an expected completion date of Nov. 15, 2019.

This is an exciting win for us, and were looking forward to expanding our work with the Air Force and continuing to support warfighters and allies around the world, said Rob Strain, the then president, Ball Aerospace, in a 2017 statement. WSF-M extends Balls legacy of providing precise measurements from space to enable more accurate weather forecasting.

Roughly a year later, Ball received a $255.4 million contract modification, which provides for the exercise of an option for development and fabrication of the [WSF-M] Space Vehicle 1. This new contract also pushed out the expected completion date to Jan. 15, 2023.

In May 2020, the U.S. Space Forces SMSC noted the completion of the WSF-M systems critical design review that April, which opened the door to the beginning of fabrication.

Over the following year, the spacecraft went through a series of tests, running both the software and hardware through its paces. The primary bus structure was completed by August 2021 and by October 2022, the spacecraft entered its integration readiness review (IRR) and test readiness review (TRR).

Before that though, in May 2022, Ball was awarded a $16.6 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification, which was for the exercise of an option for integration, test and operational work of the spacecraft. That brought the cumulative face value of the contract to about $417.4 million.

Shortly before the end of that year, in November 2022, Ball received a $78.3 firm-fixed-price contract modification to develop the second WSF-M spacecraft. That work is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2027, which would set up a launch opportunity no earlier than January 2028.

It was finally delivered from Balls facilities in Boulder, Colorado, to Vandenberg Space Force Base for pre-launch processing in February 2024.

This delivery represents a major milestone for the WSF-M program and is a critical step towards putting the first WSF-M satellite on-orbit for the warfighter, said Col. Daniel Visosky, senior materiel leader, SSCs Space Sensing Environmental and Tactical Surveillance program office, in a statement.It represents a long-term collaboration and unity-of-effort between the Space Force and our combined teams at Ball Aerospace, support contractors and government personnel.

This first WSF-M satellite, and eventually the second, will take the place of the legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, which have roots going back in the 1960s. The program features two primary satellites, which operate in sun-synchronous LEO polar orbits at about 450 nautical miles in altitude.

Originally known as the Defense Satellite Applications Program (DASP), the first of these legacy satellites launched in 1962 and they were classified under the purview of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Corona Program. The DMSP was declassified in 1972 to allow data to be used by non-governmental scientists and civilians.

According to a Space Force historical accounting, a tri-agency organizational agreement was forged between the DoD, the Department of Commerce and NASA following President Bill Clintons directive for the DOC and the DoD to converge their separate polar-orbiting weather satellite programs. Funding responsibility stayed with the DoD, but by June 1998, the operational responsibility of the DMSP transferred to the Department of Commerce.

Satellite operations for the DMSP then became the responsibility of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO).

The program was not without issue over the years. In 2004, the DMSP-F11 satellite, launched in 1991 and retired in 1995, disintegrated and created dozens of pieces of orbital debris. In 2015, a faulty battery was blamed for a similar disintegration of DMSP-F13, which resulted in 147 pieces of debris.

That year, Congress ordered an end to the DMSP program and the yet-to-launch F20 satellite was to be scrapped.

In February 2016, the DMSP-F19 had its planned five-year mission cut short less than two years after launch. The satellite suffered a power anomaly that caused engineers to lose control of it. The spacecraft was declared lost in March.

The DMSP-F17 satellite, launched in 2006, was then relocated to the primary position vacated by F19. According to the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review (OSCAR), a tool developed by the World Meteorological Organization, there are three DMSP satellites still in service: F16, F17 and F18. They launched in 2003, 2006 and 2009 respectively.

The latter two have expected end-of-life dates of 2025, with F16 intended to conclude its mission in December 2023, according to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). However, that expiration has been extended as the WSF-M replacements are still on the way.

Its unclear if F17 and F18 can hang on until the second WSF-M spacecraft is completed and launched in 2028.

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SpaceX launches Space Force weather satellite designed to take over for a program with roots to the 1960s ... - Spaceflight Now

SpaceX rocket launch today? How to watch this weekend’s launch – Florida Today

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Elon Musk Doubles Down on Mars Dreams and Details What’s Next for SpaceX’s Starship – Singularity Hub

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Elon Musk has long been open about his dreams of using SpaceX to spread humanitys presence further into the solar system. And last weekend, he gave an updated outline of his vision for how the companys rockets could enable the colonization of Mars.

The serial entrepreneur has been clear for a number of years that the main motivation for founding SpaceX was to make humans a multiplanetary species. For a long time, that seemed like the kind of aspirational goal one might set to inspire and motivate engineers rather than one with a realistic chance of coming to fruition.

But following the successful launch of the companys mammoth Starship vehicle last month, the idea is beginning to look less far-fetched. And in a speech at the companys facilities in South Texas, Musk explained how he envisions using Starship to deliver millions of tons of cargo to Mars over the next couple of decades to create a self-sustaining civilization.

Starship is the first design of a rocket that is actually capable of making life multiplanetary, Musk said. No rocket before this has had the potential to extend life to another planet.

In a slightly rambling opening to the speech, Musk explained that making humans multiplanetary could be an essential insurance policy in case anything catastrophic happens to Earth. The red planet is the most obvious choice, he said, as its neither too close nor too far from Earth and has many of the raw ingredients required to support a functioning settlement.

But he estimates it will require us to deliver several million tons of cargo to the surface to get that civilization up and running. Starship is central to those plans, and Musk outlined the companys roadmap for the massive rocket over the coming years.

Key to the vision is making the vehicle entirely reusable. That means the first hurdle is proving SpaceX can land and reuse both the Super Heavy first stage rocket and the Starship spacecraft itself. The second of those challenges will be tougher, as the vehicle must survive reentry to the atmospherein the most recent test, it broke up on its way back to Earth.

Musk says they plan to demonstrate the ability to land and reuse the Super Heavy booster this year, which he thinks has an 80 to 90 percent chance of success. Assuming they can get Starship to survive the extreme heat of reentry, they are also going to attempt landing the vehicle on a mock launch pad out at sea in 2024, with the aim of being able to land and reuse it by next year.

Proving the rocket works and is reusable is just the very first step in Musks Mars ambitions though. To achieve his goal of delivering a million people to the red planet in the next 20 years, SpaceX will have to massively ramp up its production and launch capabilities.

The company is currently building a second launch tower at its base in South Texas and is also planning to build two more at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Musk said the Texas sites would be mostly used for test launches and development work, with the Florida ones being the main hub for launches once Starship begins commercial operations.

SpaceX plans to build six Starships this year, according to Musk, but it is also building what he called a giant factory that will enable it to massively ramp up production of the spacecraft. The long-term goal is to produce multiple Starships a day. Thats crucial, according to Musk, because Starships initially wont return from Mars and will instead be used as raw materials to construct structures on the surface.

The company also plans to continue development of Starship, boosting its carrying capacity from around 100 tons today to 200 tons in the future and enabling it to complete multiple launches in a day. SpaceX also hopes to demonstrate ship-to-ship refueling in orbit next year. It will be necessary to replenish the fuel used up by Starship on launch so it has a full tank as it sets off for Mars.

Those missions will depart when the orbits of Earth and Mars bring them close together, an alignment that only happens every 26 months. As such, Musk envisions entire armadas of Starships setting off together whenever these windows arrive.

SpaceX has done some early work on what needs to happen once Starships arrive at the red planet. Theyve identified promising landing sites and the infrastructure that will need setting up, including power generation, ice-mining facilities, propellant factories, and communication networks. But Musk admits theyve yet to start development of any of these.

One glaring omission in the talk was any detail on whos going to be paying for all of this. While the goal of making humankind multiplanetary is a noble one, its far from clear how the endeavor would make money for those who put up the funds to make it possible.

Musk estimates that the cost of each launch could eventually fall to just $2 to $3 million. And he noted that profits from the companys Starlink satellites and Falcon 9 launch vehicle are currently paying for Starships development. But those revenue streams are unlikely to cover the thousands of launches a year required to make his Mars dreams a reality.

Still, the very fact that the questions these days are more about economics than technical feasibility is testament to the rapid progress SpaceX has made. The dream of becoming a multiplanetary species may not be science fiction for much longer.

Image Credit: SpaceX

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Elon Musk Doubles Down on Mars Dreams and Details What's Next for SpaceX's Starship - Singularity Hub

Starlink and Kuiper Trying to Prove Proliferation is Profitable – Payload

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Were more connected than ever, and we have the growth of satellite communications technologies to thank. In the past year alone, the satcom industry has made major advances in internet coverage, in-flight connectivity, technology development for direct-to-device, and emergency broadband servicesthe list goes on.

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Starlink and Kuiper Trying to Prove Proliferation is Profitable - Payload

SpaceX launches Military Weather Satellite into Orbit – Freedom 92.9

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(OLNEY) In Junior College Baseball from the weekend

The OCC Blue Knights won three of four games up in Coles County, in two games Saturday at Lake Land College just south of Mattoon

The final two games were yesterday at Mattoon High School

The Blue Knights (7-7) are scheduled to begin GRAC action this coming Thursday, it will be a single nine inning game at Lake Land starting at 2:00.

The Blue Knights have their home openers this Saturday at 12:00 and 3:00, stay up-to-date on the olneycentralathletics.com website.

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SpaceX launches Military Weather Satellite into Orbit - Freedom 92.9

SpaceX launches military weather satellite into orbit – UPI News

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket creates a vapor cone as it goes supersonic during the launch of the Transporter 2 payload from Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida on June 30, 2021. SpaceX launched a military weather satellite into orbit on Thursday morning. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

April 11 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched its second national security mission of 2024 on Thursday with a Falcon 9 rocket lifting the U.S. Space Force mission USSF-62 into orbit.

The mission took off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:25 a.m. EDT. The mission sends a Weather System Follow-on Microwave satellite, or WSF-M, to low Earth orbit.

BAE Systems said it "will provide critical and actionable weather intelligence to military operations in all warfighting domains."

Air Force Col. Jim Horne, the senior material leader for Space Systems Command's Launch Execution Delta, said the satellite will prove important to military operations and "add to America's capabilities and improve its deterrence in the face of growing threats."

"The WSF-M satellite is a strategic solution tailored to address three high-priority Department of Defense SBEM gaps -- specifically, ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity, and energetic charged particles in low Earth orbit," David Betz, WSF-M program manager, of the SSC Space Sensing, said in a statement.

"Beyond these primary capabilities, our instruments also provide vital data on sea ice characterization, soil moisture and snow depth."

SpaceX said it was the third launch of the first-stage booster supporting the mission. It was previously used on two Starlink missions. The first stage returned to Earth and landed on the Landing 4 zone at the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

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SpaceX launches military weather satellite into orbit - UPI News

SpaceX breaks records for re-use launchers – Advanced Television

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SpaceX has received good news from Indias government with reports that its Starlink broadband service is to receive an expedited fast-track approval to operate in India ahead of Elon Musks visit to the country. Starlink was also authorised for use in Albania last week. However, there are doubts in some quarters over Starlinks profitability.

Bloomberg, in a report, talks about Starlink losing hundreds of dollars on each of the near-3 million costly antenna terminals it has supplied to users.

SpaceXs CFO Bret Johnsen, speaking at the Washington Satellite 2024 event in March, declined to elaborate on Elon Musks suggestions to investors that Starlink had achieved breakeven cashflow last year. Johnsen said he did not want to quantify numbers but that it was in positive cashflow and profitable territory for our satellite business now.

One the positive side of the ledger Bloomberg says that SpaceX itself, which holds the rocket and Starlink businesses, is likely see overall sales of around $15 billion this year from $4.7 billion a year ago. Bloomberg says that SpaceXs current investors expect the company to need to raise more cash or get a fresh infusion from Musk himself.

SpaceXs weekend launch was managed with the 20th use of a Falcon 9 booster stage, a worlds record for the company. The launch means that there has been a total of 6,212 Starlinks launched of which 5,809 are still in orbit and 5,744 are considered by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.

The 20th launch means that SpaceX is halfway to matching the Space Shuttles record 39 orbital flights for its Discovery vehicle. The difference is that SpaceX used its Booster #1062 twenty times in just three-and-a-half years, while NASAs most successful Space Shuttle flew for 27 years (from 1984 to 2011).

Booster #1062 during its lifetime which no doubt will continue launched a batch of satellites for OneWeb, Nilesat 301 as well as Arabsats BADR-8. It has also helped put eight astronauts and more than 261 metric tons into orbit. It last launched on March 16th, and therefore a turnaround from landing to re-flight in just 27 days.

These launch records tend only to last for a few weeks until they are surpassed! SpaceX has handled 38 orbital missions this year.

Meanwhile, SpaceX last week asked the FCC for an experimental licence to cover the testing of 840 Direct-To-Cell satellites covering Australia (Optus), New Zealand (One New Zealand), Japan (KDDI), and Canada (Rogers). SpaceX explained that it intends to use a portion of its mobile partners authorised frequencies.

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SpaceX breaks records for re-use launchers - Advanced Television

SpaceX leads the crusade against the NLRB as its head calls major employers ‘lawbreakers’ – Fortune

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In a galaxy not so far away, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) strikes back. The independent federal agency, which safeguards the rights of employees and investigates violations of the National Labor Relations Act, is taking on a legion of billion-dollar corporations.

SpaceX, Starbucks, Amazon, and Trader Joes have all taken swipes at the NLRB as of late. SpaceX has led the charge with an I know you are but what am I approach to allegations of union-busting by claiming the agency is unconstitutional.

Jennifer Abruzzo, acting general counsel of the NLRB as appointed by President Joe Biden, isnt standing down to these corporate entities, and called out their legal tactics during a panel hosted by the Roosevelt Institute last week.

A growing number of deep-pocket, low-road employers are jumping on the bandwagon, seeking preliminary injunctions in courts, solely to slow [us] down or prevent us from engaging in our enforcement actions against them because they have the money to do so, she said.

These legal tactics are distractions to divert attention away from the fact that they are actually lawbreakers who need to be held accountable in a timely manner, she added.

Abruzzo described a back-and-forth thats not unlike a David and Goliath story, if Goliath was simply trying to run out the clock and leave David high and dry.

The NLRB isnt deterred, though, despite limited resources and a deluge of unfair labor practice filings amid heightened strike activity. There is no way were going to succumb, Abruzzo said, adding that the board will continue to call out companies where it sees fiteven among challenges to its very existence.

The main challenger of the NLRB, SpaceX, began its campaign against the federal branch earlier this year. Just one day after the NLRB issued a complaint against the astronautics company on Jan. 3, SpaceX sued the board in the Southern District of Texas, asserting that the institutions structure was unconstitutional. A judge subsequently opened the SpaceX hearing in March, with a case expected to be heard starting in May.

Amazon, Starbucks and Trader Joes followed suit in the companys crusade against the almost 90-year-old institution, Abruzzo said Friday. These esoteric legal arguments came about, why? Because we dared to issue a complaint against SpaceX after it unlawfully fired eight workers for speaking up about their workplace concerns, she said.

SpaceXs pushback and suing of the organization seems much more an ideological debate than how most employers handle it, Matthew Bodie, a labor law professor at the University of Minnesota who was a previous field attorney at the NLRB, told Fortunes Jessica Mathews this past March. It just seems like more of a crusade, almost, than a rational economic response to litigation.

While SpaceX is leading the charge, other large employers have eagerly taken up the same argument. Trader Joes argued that the board, in its current form, shouldnt exist during a hearing in January over alleged unfair treatment of workers at its Hadley, Mass., storeits first in the nation to unionize.

The National Labor Relations Act as interpreted and/or applied in this matter, including but not limited to the structure and organization of the the National Labor Relations Act Board and the Agencys administrative law judges is unconstitutional, Trader Joes attorney, Christopher Murphy, said in January, according to a transcript first obtained by HuffPost.

Im certainly not going to be ruling on my own constitutionality anytime soon, quipped Administrative Law Judge Charles Muhl. Youll have to take that up with the Board and with the federal courts.

Trader Joesanother of the companies taking aim at the NLRBtold Fortune the company has not filed or joined any lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of the NLRBs administrative law judge system or seeks to dismantle any aspect of the NLRB. It added that its statement during the January hearing was an affirmative defense, which was not an argument; it was an opportunity to preserve all of our legal rights under the law.

Amazon raised a similar argument in a case regarding the only Amazon warehouse to successfully unionize, in Staten Island, N.Y. Starbucks did the same in a post-hearing brief about some of its stores. Starbucks, however, has now distanced itself from Elon Musks raging brainchild. Starbucks has not joined a lawsuit against the NLRB questioning its constitutionality or initiated similar litigation against the NLRB, the company told Fortune, linking to a statement. As of March, the coffee conglomerate has 741 open or settled NLRB cases, according to the Economic Policy Institutealthough the coffee chain recently reversed itself and pledged to negotiate with its unionized workers.

Amazon did not respond to Fortunes request for comment.

Legalese aside, these major employers have been part of the ranks of companies answering charges of labor complaints by pointing the finger back at the NLRB. Whether or not they have called the NLRB unconstitutional or simply implied it, these employers are joining the Republican-backed charge against one of the only federal safeguards of workers rights.

But these corporate titans crusade isnt meeting meek soldiers. We are not going to stop despite these challenges, said Abruzzo, noting that the NLRB is the only federal agency guarding the rights of workers to unionize. During a time of workers discontent, billion-dollar companies are seemingly attempting to make one of the few checks to their power go broke.

It seems to me they would rather spend their money initiating court litigation rather than improving their workers lives and their own workplace operations, said Abruzzo. She added the main goal is to divert our scarce resources away from protecting workers rights to organize and to fight for recognition and respect for the value that they add to their employers operations. And that is not going to happen.

The NLRB isnt just twiddling its thumbs until it gets its day in court; rather, it appears to be fueled more than ever to tackle these companies and workplace violations.But Abruzzo conceded the companies efforts to draw attention to the NLRB are having an effect.

Frankly, that strategy is working, she said. Theres a lot of public reporting about the challenges as opposed to the law breaking.

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SpaceX leads the crusade against the NLRB as its head calls major employers 'lawbreakers' - Fortune

There Appears to Be a Huge Problem With SpaceX’s Starlink – Futurism

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Did Elon Musk fib about the service breaking even? Balance Sheet

In a brief announcement on his social media platform last year, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrated that the company's Starlink broadband service had "achieved breakeven cash flow."

"Starlink is also now a majority of all active satellites and will have launched a majority of all satellites cumulatively from Earth by next year," he said at the time.

But according to a damning new report by Bloomberg, Musk may have once again rigged the numbers in his favor by greatly underplaying the costs involved in launching the satellites, when in reality the company is losing "hundreds of dollars on each of the millions of ground terminals it ships."

According to Bloomberg's sources, SpaceX's accounting was "more of an art than a science" and the much-hyped system isn't actually profitable, despite Musk's assurances.

The company has kept its financials close to its chest, especially while fundraising. During a March press conference, SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen appeared cagey, telling reporters in a carefully worded comment that "I dont know that I want to quantify those numbers, but we are in positive cash flow and profitable territory for our satellite business now."

In short, is SpaceX's Starlink business cashflow positive, as Musk claims, or merely in "profitable territory"? The distinction could make all the difference for Musk's outsize plans for space colonization.

The mercurial CEO has long argued that the internet satellite broadband arm of his space company will provide the funding necessary to get humans to Mars. According to Bloomberg, Starlink represents more than half of SpaceX's revenue this year.

As of now, SpaceX has launched 5,600 satellites into low-Earth orbit and is planning to launch tens of thousands more.

Despite eclipsing the total number of all operating satellites in Earth's orbit, Starlink isn't just struggling to cut even. Experts are concerned that trying to provide the entire globe with internet via satellites instead of expanding coverage with cell towers where needed could prove difficult, with speeds already beginning to decrease in 2022.

In other words, SpaceX will have to pump out untold numbers of satellites to keep up with quickly growing bandwidth demands.

That's not all the bad news. According to Bloomberg, all major US airlines have rejected SpaceX's Starlink to provide internet service on flights, though an exact reason as to why remains unclear.

Nonetheless, SpaceX has exceeded expectations when it comes to generating revenue over the years. Sales could grow from $4.7 billion a year ago to $15 billion this year, per Bloomberg's sources.

SpaceX may end up spinning off its internet service with a potential IPO. But that's still years out, according to company officials.

More on Starlink: SpaceX Announces Plans to Set 100 Starlink Satellites on Fire

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There Appears to Be a Huge Problem With SpaceX's Starlink - Futurism

SpaceX launches the first Falcon booster 20 times – Space Explored

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Image: SpaceX

Friday evening SpaceX launched a Starlink mission that while not newsworthy anymore, the booster it launched on was. B1062, first launched in 2020, has now reached the big 20 mission milestone.

While it took a bit longer than we expected after the destruction of B1058 on its return to port, SpaceX has hit that 20 mission milestone. Friday evening at 9:40 P.M. from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, SpaceX launched B1062 with 23 Starlink Gen 2 mini satellites on top.

B1062 first lifted off on November 5, 2020 with GPS III SV04 Sacagawea. Since then it has flown 13 Starlink missions (including the one from last night), eight astronauts, and various other commercial payloads, including Starlinks competitor OneWeb. Bring it to a grand total of 20 flights, once the believed limit of Falcon 9 boosters.

The booster performed like it came right out the SpaceX factory in Hawthorne. B1062, lofted its second stage and Starlink satellites on their intended trajectory before returning for a perfect landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

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When SpaceX first began reusing its first stage, many didnt think it was even possible. When it became possible, the hypothetical limits by Elon Musk was close to 10 or 15 launches. That was also at the time believed to be a big ask.

SpaceX is no longer advertising potential limits to how many times they can refly a booster before seeing any failures. There will be limits, and SpaceX intends to find them but dont have an idea as to when theyll show up.

Each booster goes through a rigorous refurbishment process before reflight. However, those process have come down in time it takes to finish, some boosters reflying in a matter of weeks. Its possible teams have already spotted failing points before flight and those booster see longer refurbishments but thats something well probably never hear about.

The knowledge gained with reusing Falcon is important for the companys new rocket, Starship. SpaceX hopes to launch Starship rockets on a near hourly bases, meaning those boosters and ships will quickly replace Falcon boosters in reflight records.

Starship may just be a few more flights away before beginning sending payloads to orbit. This will most likely begin with full size Starlink Gen 2 satellites, likely replacing the mini variations launch on Falcon 9s.

While it might be hard to believe, we could be reaching the conclusion of the Falcon 9s career (were talking years here not months), at least its commercial career. While its unknown how many customers will move from Falcons to Starship, the potential low cost for launch could mean the bulk switch over.

So does that mean well never know the limit of Falcon 9 boosters? Unsure, B1062 will probably fly a few more times this year, maybe its 21, or 25, or 50. Whatever it is, Starship will most likely be higher.

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SpaceX launches the first Falcon booster 20 times - Space Explored

SpaceX successfully launches a batch of Starlink satellites Friday night – Yahoo! Voices

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SpaceX successfully launches another batch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

9:45 p.m. Update:

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station around 9:40 p.m.

After liftoff and separation Falcon 9 lands on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship completing the first 20th launch and landing of a booster!

This boosters previous missions include GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and now 13

Original Story:

Liftoff is scheduled for Friday night at 9:22 p.m.

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites will blast off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

This is the 20th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 12 Starlink missions.

Read: Only on 9: Channel 9 speaks with Madeline Sotos father

After stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Backup opportunities available until 12:48 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 13

Stay with Channel 9 for live coverage of the launch, and click here to watch live.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

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SpaceX successfully launches a batch of Starlink satellites Friday night - Yahoo! Voices

After delays, SpaceX sends Falcon 9 into orbit early Wednesday from Cape – Florida Today

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After delays, SpaceX sends Falcon 9 into orbit early Wednesday from Cape - Florida Today

Startup Looking to Launch Stadium-Sized Space Habitats on SpaceX – Futurism

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A space startup called Max Space is looking to launch expandable, "stadium-sized" habitats into the Earth's orbit on board a SpaceX rocket by the end of the decade.

In theory, the startup's goal is straightforward. Its habitats are designed to give us as much room to live in space by minimizing the mass and volume of the payload required to be launched into space, a notoriously costly process.

"The problem with space today is, there isn't enough habitable space in space," said co-founder Aaron Kemmer in a statement. "Unless we make usable space in space a lot less expensive, and much larger, humanity's future in space will remain limited."

The one-year-old company's "scalable habitat" designs range from 20 cubic meters to a whopping 1,000, or 700 and 35,300 cubic feet respectively which would dwarf existing habitat concepts out there if they're launched in 2027 and 2030 as planned.

These habitats could not only float in the microgravity of orbit, the company says, but even be deployed on the surface of the Moon or even Mars.

"My dream is to have a city on the Moon before I die," Kemmer said. "So I look at this like, this is going to be the habitat, the structures, that are going to go inside the lava tubes buried under the [lunar] surface," Kemmer told Space.com.

That's all with a huge disclaimer, of course: it's a wildly ambitious plan and the company is bound to encounter plenty of obstacles along the way.

At least the startup's leadership has some existing experience to draw from. Kemmer co-founded Redwire Space (formerly Made in Space), a company that has sent several 3D-printing devices to the International Space Station to explore off-Earth manufacturing.

Making habitats inflatable has some key advantages, including a much smaller size that could squeeze into a rocket fairing.

The idea isn't exactly new. As Space.com points out, there are three inflatable space habitat modules orbiting the Earth right now, all of which were developed and built by Bigelow Aerospace, which has been pioneering the concept.

Max Space cofounder Maxim de Jong worked on the pressure-restraining hulls of two of these habitats at Canadian contractor Thin Red Line Aerospace.

The startup is hoping to bring costs down by using a new approach that's highly scalable, and launch its first off-Earth test a module roughly the size of two suitcases that expands into a volume of 700 cubic feet just two years from now, per Space.com.

If everything goes according to plan, the prototype could set a new record, ballooning past the volumes of all three inflatable habitats currently orbiting the Earth.

But Max Space isn't the only company looking to launch a new generation of expanding habitats into space.

Competitor Sierra Space has also been busy intentionally blowing up full-scale inflatable habitat prototypes on Earth, and is planning to start work on flight-ready hardware by mid-2026.

More on inflatable habitats: Full-Scale Prototype Space Habitat Explodes Under Pressure

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Startup Looking to Launch Stadium-Sized Space Habitats on SpaceX - Futurism

SpaceX Planning Starlink 6-49 Launch Tonight, Which Will Make A Bit of History – Talk of Titusville

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Representative Starlink launch on a Falcon 9 Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

I recently said that covering Starlink launches is almost like covering Southwest Airlines daily flights from Orlando International Airport to Austin, Texas. Its not that watching a rocket launch is boring, it never is, it is simply that SpaceX is flying missions to add to its Starlink constellation so regularly that it has become a reliable and routine service thats much like, well, airline flights departing from the airport.

Tonight is such a launch, but this one comes with a big twist: it is the 20th flight of one of the companys fleet of Falcon 9 boosters, and that is a first not only for SpaceX but also for spaceflight globally.

That this historic occasion is happening with little fanfare is a testament to the technical comptence of SpaceX generally, and the Falcon 9 teams that refurbish and launch them from the Cape specifically.

And while the booster and fairings are regularly reused, it must also be pointed out that their second stages are not, and that means that SpaceXs factory in Hawthorne, California is creating not only the second stages at a torrid pace, they are also building Merlin Vacuum engines to power them as well. It is a job extremely well done by everyone, and it should be acknowledged as such by the spaceflight community generally.

23 Starlink satellites, to be used in SpaceXs orbital-based Internet service.

The 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting all but perfect weather for a launch attempt tonight, with even better conditions tomorrow. Liftoff winds have less than a 5% chance of creating a Range Violation Friday, meaning a better than 95% chance of acceptable conditions. On Saturday, even that slight concern has been removed from the 45ths forecast.

Falcon 9 will take a southeasterly direction tonight, as is customary for Group 6 Starlink missions.

Given that the flight is immediately offshore with no return to launch site, there will be no sonic boom from the launch this evening on the Space Coast.

Tonight is slated to be the 20th flight of Booster B1062, a first for SpaceX and for spaceflight anywhere. We cover the record of this historic booster here: SpaceX Booster To Launch For 20th Time Friday Night.

That next flight is of interest because last May, Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceXs vice president of build and flight reliability, said in May [2023] that engineers were in the process of certifying Falcon 9 boosters for up to 20 flights for Starlink missions, according to a report by Stephen Clark at Ars Technica.

Later in 2023, Nate Janzen, manager of launch pad systems and operations for SpaceX at Vandenberg told Santa Barbara, Californias Noozhaek that Next year, SpaceX will re-evaluate and conduct analysis with an eye toward certifying the first-stage boosters for 25 to 30 flights. Whether or not that certification has been achieved as of yet will be an interesting bit of news to follow.

Per SpaceX, Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

After touching down on A Shortfall of Gravitas, the booster will be returned to Port Canveral after a few days, where it will be offloaded and transported to SpaceXs Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center, where it will be inspected, refurbished and possibly prepared for another next flight.

1: this includes Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Starship Heavy Launches 2: Amos-6 is discounted due to a pad failure, not an in-flight anomoly

SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.comwill have a livestream of the launch if youre not able to watch the launch in person:Livestream

SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Starlink 6-49. This will also be available on the X platform.

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

This evenings planned launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are: Banana River Bridge on FL-528 Wnear Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenuein Titusville. Kennedy Point Park and,Rotary Riverview Park (among others) are your best bets.

Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach Pier, Jetty Park Pier will have indirect views, meaning that liftoff will not be visible, but after the rocket clears the pad and any ground obstructions, you will be able to see Falcon 9 ascending clearly assuming there are no clouds between you and the rocket.

Being that the launch is in the evening, if you plan to attend in person, dont forget mosquito spray. Be prepared for potential pushes in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.

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SpaceX Planning Starlink 6-49 Launch Tonight, Which Will Make A Bit of History - Talk of Titusville

Bitcoin Halving: A History of Economics Shift & Financial Independence – Crypto Times

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Bitcoin Halving, a much-anticipated event in the crypto ecosystem, is being monitored closely by crypto enthusiasts across the globe as the price of the super volatile currency Bitcoin (BTC) is expected to set new benchmarks.

A short history of halving has shown us that the price of BTC and other cryptocurrencies have grown exponentially in a short time post the halving event. Trade analysts say that the halving events have the potential to disrupt markets, surge or plunge digital currencies and bring a shift in the economics of the crypto ecosystem.

In this article, we look at the history of halving and how the events unfolded to take BTC to newer heights through bullish sentiments and innovations.

Halving is a programmed event where the reward for mining BTC gets slashed by 50% for every new block created by the miners. As per the algorithm developed by makers of BTC and blockchain technology, a total of 21 million BTCs could ever be generated and the fee for generating BTCs and creating blocks gets reduced by %)% every time a total of 2,10,000 blocks are formed, which usually takes four years. Such a mechanism was introduced to remain intact the scarce value of BTC through controlled demand and supply.

Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has experienced three halving events, occurring approximately every four years. The first was in 2012, followed by 2016, 2020, and the upcoming in 2024.

The first Bitcoin halving took place after the network had confirmed 210,000 blocks, resulting in miners rewards being reduced from 50 to 25 BTC per block. At the moment of the halving, Bitcoin was priced at approximately $12 in the market. Following the halving, a bullish trend emerged, propelling Bitcoins price to $1,000 by the subsequent year.

The second Bitcoin halving occurred on July 9, 2016, at block 420,000, reducing the block reward to 12.5 BTC, coinciding with a market price of around $650. Following this event, Bitcoin witnessed another significant surge in value, with its price soaring to almost $20,000 within the subsequent 18 months, marking an extraordinary increase of 3,000%.

Following the third Bitcoin halving on May 11, 2020, occurring at block 630,000 and reducing the block reward to 6.25 BTC, the cryptocurrency demonstrated remarkable resilience amidst global economic uncertainty, with its price experiencing a surge. By April 2021, Bitcoin surpassed $69,000, reflecting an impressive 690% increase from its pre-halving value, which was approximately $9,000.

The upcoming fourth halving of Bitcoin is expected to occur on 19th April 2024, marked by the 840,000th block and a reward reduced to 3.125 BTC. At the current trading price of approximately $70,000, there is anticipation for a substantial surge in value post-halving.

Although the exact price surge is challenging to predict, historical patterns suggest a significant upward momentum, potentially propelling Bitcoin to new highs, with projections ranging from surpassing $100,000 to reaching $200,000 in the subsequent years, fueled by increasing institutional adoption and mainstream acceptance.

Based on the historical data available, there appears to be a diminishing rate of increase in Bitcoins price following each halving event, with the growth rate reducing by a factor of approximately 3.5 to 3.9 compared to the previous halving cycle.

Applying this observed pattern, one might infer that for the 2024 halving, Bitcoins price could potentially experience an uptick of around 200% from its trough.

However, its essential to recognize that past performance is not indicative of future results, and various factors can influence Bitcoins price dynamics, including market sentiment, adoption trends, regulatory developments, and macroeconomic conditions.

Presently, the circulating supply of Bitcoins exceeds 19 million, leaving less than 2 million BTC to be mined before reaching the maximum cap of 21 million. Nevertheless, due to the mechanism of Bitcoin halving, the process of mining these remaining 2 million Bitcoins will extend over approximately a century.

The final Bitcoin halving is projected to occur in the year 2140, coinciding with the completion of the mining of the entire 21 million BTC supply.

As we near Bitcoins fourth halving, the crypto community is on the edge, eagerly waiting for the changes it will bring. With each halving, Bitcoin solidifies its status as the digital equivalent of gold, its limited supply mirroring that of precious metals.

History shows us that after these events, Bitcoin often experiences dramatic price increases, challenging traditional market rules. But beyond its financial gains, Bitcoin represents something more profound: a decentralized ideal, offering financial freedom in an uncertain world.

As we look ahead to the post-2024 halving landscape, one thing is clear: Bitcoins story is just beginning. Its a testament to human innovation, a revolutionary force capable of reshaping economies, empowering individuals, and transforming our understanding of money itself.

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Bitcoin Halving: A History of Economics Shift & Financial Independence - Crypto Times

The Ministry of Health Warns the Public Against Use of Food Supplements Manufactured by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical … – Gov.il

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The Ministry of Health Warns the Public Against Use of Food Supplements Manufactured by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical ... - Gov.il

DEA Agrees To Hold Hearing On Proposed Ban Of Two Psychedelics Amid Pushback From Researchers – Marijuana Moment

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled an administrative hearing to get additional feedback from experts about its renewed push to ban two psychedelics after abandoning its original scheduling proposal in 2022.

More than a year after DEA announced its intent to classify 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC) as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the agency has agreed to hold a hearing before issuing a final rule.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram signed off on the hearing notice on Thursday. It says that the agencys administrative law judge will convene the meeting on June 10, at the request of three interested parties, including Panacea Plant Sciences, which had filed a motion contesting the proposed scheduling action last year.

Panacea Plant Sciences founder and CEO David Heldreth told Marijuana Moment on Monday that the company is prepared to fight the DEA attempt to schedule DOI & DOC.

Beyond the scheduling attempt, we believe the DEA administrative law judges and system are unconstitutional, he said, arguing that theres legal precedent based on prior Supreme Court rulings. We expect to file federal challenges to the ALJ prior to the hearing.

In its notice about the psychedelics ban last year, DEA said its arguments about the merits of the scheduling action remained the same as in its prior abandoned ban attempt. It is maintaining that DOI and DOC hold high abuse potential with no established medical value. But it also notably described a change in the process to request an administrative hearing, which left some with the impression that the agency was deliberately complicating the procedure in the face of likely challenges from the psychedelics research community.

But, ultimately, DEA accepted the multiple requests for a hearing.

Upon review of the requests for hearings, I have authorized a hearing, and direct the Chief Administrative Law Judge to assign the matter to an Administrative Law Judge who will complete all prehearing procedures, conduct a due process hearingand issue a recommended decision for the Agencys review and action, Milgram said.

A DEA spokesperson told Marijuana Moment on Monday that they expect the notice to be posted on the online docket on Tuesday.

DEA backed down off its original proposed ban of the psychedelics following challenges from Panacea and researchers from Emory University. It remains to be seen how the agency will navigate the scheduling issue following the hearing with experts.

DEA separatelywithdrew from a proposal to ban five different tryptamine psychedelics in 2022amid sizable pushback from the research and advocacy communities.

For DOI and DOC, the agencys 2023 notice about the scheduling proposal still lacks evidence that directly connects the compounds to serious adverse health events or demonstrated a high abuse potential.

To date, there are no reports of distressing responses or death associated with DOI in medical literature, it says. The physiological dependence liability of DOI and DOC in animals and humans is not reported in scientific and medical literature.

DEA said that anecdotal reports posted by people online signaled that the substances have hallucinogenic effects, making it reasonable to assume that DOI and DOC have substantial capability to be a hazard to the health of the user and to the safety of the community.

It did point to one report of a death of a person who had used DOC in combination with two other unspecified drugsas well as two reports of hospitalizations that it said were attributable to the use of DOC with other drugsbut scientists say that hardly constitutes reason enough to place them in the most strictly controlled schedule.

Meanwhile, DEA is also under significant public and political pressure to complete its review into marijuana scheduling after the agency received a recommendation to move cannabis to Schedule III of the CSA from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

A DEA official recently said on a podcast that the agency wants to correct misperceptions that its drug scheduling review process is done in a shroud of secrecy as it works to reach a final decision. He also said it sometimes takes up to six months for DEA to complete its analysis of health officials recommendationswhich is just about how long it has now been since the agency began its current cannabis assessment.

Vice President Kamala Harris recently urged DEA to finalize its cannabis review as quickly as possible and called it absurd and patently unfair that marijuana remains in Schedule I alongside drugs such as heroin.

President Joe Biden has also routinely touted his role in directing the marijuana scheduling review, including during his State of the Union address last month and in a new proclamation designating April as Second Chances Month.

Read DEAs notice about the psychedelics scheduling hearing below:

Top Marijuana Advocacy Groups End Merger Talks Despite Fundraising Challenges

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

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DEA Agrees To Hold Hearing On Proposed Ban Of Two Psychedelics Amid Pushback From Researchers - Marijuana Moment

Can psychedelics treat people with a severe brain injury? – National Geographic

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Ultimately, the logic driving these scientific initiatives is the correlation that exists between brain complexity and conscious level. But correlation is not causation, and its possible that the rise in complexity seen when under the influence of psychedelics is actually pointing to brain activity unrelated to growing conscious awareness, says Anil Seth, professor of computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex, and investigator on the 2017 study.

For example, it could be capturing the multi-sensorial richness of their experience during the trip, the random firing of neurons, or unwanted, reflexive bodily movements.

Theres many missing knowledge gaps, says Seth.

Still, the results led scientists to wonder: could psychedelics ability to boost complexity levels be used to awaken patients with disorders of consciousness?

For David, there was only one way to find out.

On August 25, 2023, exactly 336 days following Sarahs tragic accident, David, who is based in Colorado where psychedelic mushrooms are decriminalized, obtained a tincture of distilled liquid psilocybin. He had already given Sarah low and moderate doses of the drug over the course of several months and it had a remarkable" affect in her bodily movements.

This time, however, he would go all in, using the equivalent of 2.5 gramsa dose high enough to provoke a powerful psychedelic experience and which is often used in clinical trials for therapeutic purposes. At this dose, both Gosseries and Carhart-Harris said an awakening was theoretically possible.

The legalities of what David was about to do were unclear. Colorados decriminalization of certain psychedelics in 2022 means that psilocybin is easy to access and magic mushrooms can be grown and consumed. But whether David was crossing a line by giving Sarah the drug, when she could not consent, was not obvious.

David felt that if there was even a slim chance that psychedelics could awaken Sarah, he would take the risk.

Sarah sat in her wheelchair and wore a helmet-like headset with cables sprouting out of the back of her head, feeding into a laptop. The headset, a commercial-grade piece of equipment called a WAVi, measured the electrical activity from her brain and was going to be recorded and analyzed by Frank Palermo, medical director of the Colorado-based company, WAVi Co., which focuses on medical equipment manufacturing. Palermo also describes himself as a physiatrist specializing in neurorehabilitation, as he does in a video of him posted on Neurologic Life, a company that markets medical devices, including WAVi.

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Can psychedelics treat people with a severe brain injury? - National Geographic