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SpaceX pulls off unprecedented feat, grabs descending rocket with mechanical arms
In one of the most dramatic, high-risk space flights to date, SpaceX launched a gargantuan Super Heavy-Starship rocket on an unpiloted test flight Sunday and then used giant “mechazilla” mechanical arms on the pad gantry to grab the descending first stage out of the sky as the upper stage continued to space.
The spectacular capture, using pincer-like arms more familiarly known as chopsticks, represented a new milestone in SpaceX’s drive to develop fully reusable, quickly re-launchable rockets. It is a technological tour de force unmatched in the history of earlier space programs relying on expendable, throw-away rockets.
The 397-foot-tall rocket blasted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, flight facility on the Texas Gulf Coast at 8:25 a.m. EDT, putting on a spectacular sunrise show as the booster’s 33 methane-burning Raptor engines ignited with a ground-shaking roar and a torrent of flaming exhaust.
Three minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff, the Super Heavy booster fell away, flipped around and restarted 13 Raptors to reverse course and head back toward the Texas coast as the Starship upper stage continued the climb to space on the power of its six Raptor engines.
The booster’s flight computer was programmed to direct the stage to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico if any problems developed on the rocket or the launch pad capture mechanism.
But no such problems were detected and the Super Heavy continued toward its launch pad, descending and then slowing to a near hover between the two mechanical arms, which then moved in to grab the rocket as its engines shut down. SpaceX employees at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., burst into cheers and applause.
The remarkable capture, a key element in SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s drive to achieve “rapid reusability,” came as the Starship upper stage was still heading to space and splashdown in the Indian Ocean, simulating a touchdown on shore or, eventually, on the moon or Mars. Splashdown was expected an hour and five minutes after liftoff.
During the rocket’s fourth test flight in June, the extreme temperatures caused significant damage to the Starship’s protective tiles and steering fins. Multiple upgrades and improvements were put in place for Sunday’s flight to eliminate or minimize any such re-entry damage.
The two-stage Super Heavy-Starship, known collectively as the Starship, is the largest, most powerful rocket in the world with twice the liftoff thrust of NASA’s legendary Saturn 5 and nearly twice the power of the agency’s new Space Launch System moon rocket.
The 30-foot-wide Super Heavy first stage, loaded with 6.8 million pounds of liquid oxygen and methane propellants, stands 230 feet tall and is powered by 33 SpaceX-designed Raptor engines generating up to 16 million pounds of thrust. The Starship upper stage measures 160 feet long and carries 2.6 million pounds of propellant to power another six Raptors.
Both stages are designed to be fully reusable, with the Super Heavy flying itself back to its launch pad while the Starship travels to and from Earth orbit, the moon, or, eventually, Mars. The Starship is designed to touch down vertically on its own rocket power at landing sites on Earth and beyond.
But the primary goal of Sunday’s flight was to demonstrate the ability to capture returning Super Heavy boosters on the launch pad where they can be quickly refurbished, refueled and relaunched.
SpaceX perfected first-stage landings with its workhorse Falcon 9 rockets, successfully recovering 352 such boosters to date with powered touchdowns on landing pads or off-shore droneships. The smaller Falcon 9 first stages land on their own, deploying four landing legs a few seconds before touchdown.
Snatching the 230-foot-tall Super Heavy out of the sky with mechanical arms as the rocket descends and hovers right beside its launch gantry seemed an outlandish idea when it was first proposed during the booster’s initial development.
But SpaceX engineers “spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize our chances for success,” the company said on its website.
“With each flight building on the learnings from the last, testing improvements in hardware and operations across every facet of Starship, we’re on the verge of demonstrating techniques fundamental to Starship’s fully and rapidly reusable design,” the company continued.
SpaceX is under contract with NASA to supply a modified Starship to carry astronauts to landings near the moon’s south pole in the agency’s Artemis program.
To get a Starship lander to the moon, SpaceX must first get it into low-Earth orbit, then launch multiple Super Heavy-Starship “tankers” to refuel the moon-bound Starship for the trip to lunar orbit.
The astronauts will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and fly to the moon aboard a Lockheed Martin-built Orion capsule. The crew will transfer to the waiting Starship for the descent to the lunar surface. NASA hopes to send the first woman and the next man to the moon in the 2027-28 timeframe, after an unpiloted Starship moon landing.
Rapid reusability is a key element of the program given the number of Super Heavy-Starships that will be required for a single moon landing. While Sunday’s test flight appeared to go smoothly, multiple flights will be needed to perfect the system and demonstrate the reliability required to carry astronauts.
How long that might take is an open question.
Over the past few weeks, Musk has launched a social media broadside against the Federal Aviation Administration, complaining that the agency’s bureaucracy takes too long to review and approve launch licenses and is, in effect, stifling innovation and slowing the development of the new rocket system.
The FAA did not grant a license to launch Sunday’s test flight until the day before. But this time around, the license covered multiple test flights using roughly the same flight plan.
CBS News
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
CBS News
How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The New England Patriots will face off against the Miami Dolphins in a game today at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Patriots have had an uneven season so far, coming into the game with a record of 3-8, including a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on November 17. The Dolphins, however, haven’t fared much better this season as they enter the game with a record of 4-6, although they are coming off two wins in a row, the latest against the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend.
Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game today, even without cable.
CBS, Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are all subsidiaries of Paramount Global.
How and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game today
The New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT). The football game will be shown on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ and the platforms noted below.
How and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game without cable
While CBS is available with many basic cable packages, you’ll have other viewing options, too for the Patriots-Dolphins game. Just understand that the below streaming options will require the use of an internet provider:
Paramount+: Watch CBS-aired NFL games without cable
With Paramount+ you’ll have multiple viewing options to choose from. You can catch NFL games on the Paramount+ Essential tier for just $7.99 each month or you can watch college football with a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription for $12.99 monthly. In addition to live streams of NFL games airing on CBS, you’ll get to watch additional live sporting events including NCAA college football, PGA Tour golf, soccer and more.
Get started with Paramount+ here today.
Amazon Prime Video: Add Paramount+ to your existing subscription
Already have an Amazon Prime Video account? Simply add Paramount+ to your current subscription to watch all the CBS-aired NFL games in addition to Paramount+ originals. The same prices from above apply, depending on which tier you choose. Not sure which is best for you? Don’t worry. Both options come with a free seven-day trial that can help you decide.
Watch the Patriots-Dolphins game on Amazon Prime Video.
Fubo: Watch the Patriots-Dolphins game for free
Looking for an inexpensive way to watch football? Fubo could be the best way to do so. The live TV streamer is currently offering a seven-day free trial and $30 off of your first month’s subscription. Once subscribed, you’ll gain access to all of their live sporting events immediately. And there will be a lot to choose from. Not only does Fubo come with access to NFL games airing on your local CBS channel, it also includes Fox Sunday NFC games, “Sunday Night Football” on NBC, “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN and all of the games that air on the NFL Network. So don’t wait.
Get started with Fubo online now.
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more