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Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Claims that the Israeli occupation has withdrawn from areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, and al-Shujaiya are false
Hamas: The two delegations stressed that any negotiations must lead to the achievement of our people's goals and aspirations, foremost among which is ending the war and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces
Hamas: A delegation from the Hamas leadership, led by the head of the leadership council, Mohammad Darwish, met with an Islamic Jihad delegation, headed by its Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah

SpaceX plans hundreds of Starship launches under Trump admin

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Wall Street Journal
  • 16 Nov 2024 18:17
3 Min Read

As the Trump administration approaches the beginning of its term, SpaceX's relationship with the government is anticipated to change, with Musk playing an important role in determining space policy.

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  • SpaceX plans hundreds of Starship launches under Trump admin
    This image provided by SpaceX shows a mega-rocket booster returning to the launch pad to be captured during a test flight on October 13, 2024. (AP)

According to The Wall Street Journal, after pouring over $200 million into Donald Trump's election campaign, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to significantly boost the number of launches of the company's massive new rocket during his term.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said Friday she wouldn’t be surprised if the company launched 400 Starships over the next four years. While the spacecraft is still in development, with only five test flights so far, reaching 100 flights per year would likely strain SpaceX’s production capacity and require regulatory changes from the  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

In October, the Europa Clipper spacecraft was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Shotwell expressed hope that the Trump administration and Musk's government efficiency panel could help streamline regulations, noting she spends much of her time working on regulatory issues and advocating for simpler launch requirements.

"Technology is easy. Physics is easy. People are hard," Shotwell added. "And regulator people are the hardest."

On Thursday, the FAA said that it will revise its launch-licensing requirements to satisfy the space industry's concerns while guaranteeing safety and environmental compliance. 

As the Trump administration begins its term, SpaceX's relationship with the government is anticipated to change, with Musk playing an important role in determining space policy.

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SpaceX, a key contractor for NASA, the Pentagon, and other government agencies, has advocated abolishing the White House National Space Council. 

Trump mentioned SpaceX rockets throughout his campaign, and called on the government to collaborate with commercial-space businesses to "revolutionize our ability to access, live in, and develop assets in space."

SpaceX secretly building spy satellite network for US intelligence

Reuters reported in March that SpaceX is reportedly constructing a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency.

The network, managed by SpaceX's Starshield business unit, operates under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), responsible for managing spy satellites.

According to Reuters, this initiative showcases SpaceX's significant involvement in US intelligence and military projects, further highlighting the Pentagon's investment in low-Earth orbit satellite systems to bolster ground forces' support.

If successful, this program is expected to enhance the US government and military's capacity to rapidly identify potential targets across the globe.

The contract signals increased confidence from the intelligence community in a company whose owner has previously clashed with the Biden administration.

Although the existence of a $1.8 billion classified contract with SpaceX's Starshield was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, Reuters' reporting revealed that the contract is for a powerful new spy system comprising hundreds of satellites with Earth-imaging capabilities, with the NRO as the collaborating intelligence agency.

Meanwhile, in August, China's state-owned Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) successfully placed 18 satellites into orbit, CCTV reported, as China seeks to rival the United States SpaceX's Starlink. 

  • The Wall Street Journal
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Space X
  • Elon Musk
  • Donald Trump

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