Musk and the Drug Issue, Again

Posted on by onespaceman2000
 

You might think a company would love to be on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and that is generally true, but not when the headline is this one: “Some Tesla, SpaceX Leaders Worried by Musk Drug Use.”

The article states:

…they fear the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive’s drug use could have major consequences not just for his health, but also the six companies and billions in assets he oversees…The world’s wealthiest person has used LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms…

That is not a story that investors, nor Uncle Sam, wants to be reading with the morning oatmeal.

NASA is already dealing with one Moon-size disaster today. It does not need the frat antics of a CEO to further damage the move towards a more commercial-oriented space program.

Note: The online version of the story cited above was released earlier and had a modified title.

Bad News for Latest US Moon Mission

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Planned flight of the Peregrine lunar lander. (Astrobotic)

We started with high hopes, yet a problem has already threatened the success of Astrobotic’s mission to the Moon. Shortly after a successful lift off earlier this morning, the Peregrine lunar lander started reporting issues with its propulsion system, which impacted its ability to charge its batteries. Fortunately, the charging issue was resolved, yet the propulsion issue is still outstanding.

Astrobotic is already talking about a modified mission. Noting the loss of propellant, the company stated:

The team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture. We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time.

That sounds pretty ominous at this point when the final goal is the Moon. The US mission is starting to look like two other lunar missions that failed last year – one Japanese and one Russian – yet those happened on the Moon’s surface. If the Peregrine can stay in the Moon’s orbit then maybe it can get a few things accomplished.

If there is any good news, it is that the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket appeared to operate as expected. That means the folks at ULA and Blue Origin can sleep a little better tonight.

I do not expect the Astrobotic people will have a good night’s sleep for some time.