SpaceX's Two-Launch Weekend: Are They Even Trying Anymore?
Alright, let's get this straight. Two freakin' launches in one weekend? SpaceX, are you trying to make spaceflight as boring as my dentist appointments? I mean, come on!
Starlink Saturation: Is Anyone Even Watching?
So, we've got Starlink 6-89 blasting off from Kennedy Space Center, another batch of internet satellites heading to the heavens. Yay. And then, just to keep things "interesting," there's a Falcon 9 hauling a government weather satellite – Sentinel-6B – from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Because, you know, measuring sea levels is thrilling stuff. SpaceX plans rocket launch from Vandenberg. Where to see liftoff in California
The weather was supposedly 95% favorable for both launches. Ninety-five percent? Give me a break. It's Florida. It's always either sunny or about to rain harder than a cow peeing on a flat rock. And California? Don't even get me started on the smog...
B1092, the booster used for the Starlink launch, flew for an eighth time. An eighth time! They're not even trying to make new rockets anymore, are they? Just recycling the same old metal tubes until they fall apart. It landed on "A Shortfall of Gravitas," which, let's be real, is a pretty accurate description of the whole damn space program these days. "Gravitas"? More like "Gravy-toss," amirite?
And speaking of Vandenberg, this launch is the first under the new FAA curfew restricting launches to between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Seriously? A curfew for rocket launches? What is this, a high school dance? But Col. James Horne III says they treat every mission as critical. Critical to what, exactly? Critical to keeping Elon Musk in the headlines?
Blue Origin's "Feat": A Little Late to the Party
Oh, and guess what? Blue Origin finally managed to land a booster. Big freakin' deal. It took them long enough. SpaceX has been doing it for years. Now they're carrying satellites to Mars and measuring its atmosphere. Who gives a rat's patootie? Blue Origin rocket successfully lands booster during launch
This whole thing is like watching two toddlers race each other, except one of them has a freakin' rocket-powered tricycle. I mean, good for Bezos, I guess? But let's not pretend it's some revolutionary accomplishment. It's just playing catch-up.
And the Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch a government weather satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Developed by NASA and known as Sentinel-6B, the satellite will measure sea levels and record of atmospheric temperatures. The spacecraft will take over the work of its predecessor twin satellite, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, which SpaceX propelled to orbit in 2020. Why does everything in space have such a boring name?
The Future: More Launches, Less Excitement
SpaceX launches are supposed to increase in 2026 in California along with Falcon Heavy debut. More launches. Just what we need. More noise, more light pollution, more excuses for Elon to tweet about Dogecoin.
I'm starting to think that the whole point of this isn't about science or exploration or even making the world a better place. It's just about who can launch the most stuff into orbit the fastest. It's like a cosmic pissing contest, and frankly, I'm not sure who's winning, but I know who's losing: the rest of us, who have to put up with the noise and the hype and the endless stream of self-congratulatory PR.
Then again, maybe I'm just being a grumpy old cynic. Maybe there's something genuinely exciting about all this that I'm missing. Maybe...nah, who am I kidding? It's still boring.
So, What's the Real Point?
Look, I get it. Space is cool. Rockets are cool. But when every other day is a "spacex launch today" or a "spacex rocket launch today", it all starts to blend together into one big, monotonous blur. It's like they're trying to normalize space travel to the point where we don't even notice it anymore. And honestly, it's working. I'm starting to feel like I need a nap every time I hear about a new launch.
