Don’t Believe the Hype: Media Misinformation on SpaceX Starship Launch
It's all about Elon
It was the biggest event of the past week. Yet if you read mainstream media accounts of the SpaceX Starship launch, you would have thought it was a complete failure. Explosion, explosion, explosion. That was all anyone could seem to fit into their headlines.
Instead of celebrating the monumental achievement of landing the largest launch vehicle ever flown, many news outlets focused on the fact that the rocket exploded through forced detonation. They conveniently ignored the fact that SpaceX was able to collect valuable data from the launch, which will inform the design and ultimate success of future launches.
See my YouTube Short on this topic: https://youtube.com/shorts/GA4ckb-zYJM?feature=share
Mainstream media misinformation underplayed SpaceX successes
This media misinformation is not only misleading, but it also does a disservice to the incredible accomplishments of the SpaceX team. So let's set the record straight and take a closer look at the recent Starship launch.
Investor Gavin Baker summed it up well.
The Max-Q achievement by Starship impresses me the most. Max-Q is maximum dynamic pressure. Basically, by surviving Max-Q, Starship proved that it has the structural load to get through the Earth’s atmosphere. Which is pretty impressive for the largest rocket ever built at 394 feet tall, with 33 engines powering it.
In addition to the numerous data points that were collected to help inform the next prototype, remember that the Starship is designed to be fully reusable. Each launch and (eventual) landing brings us one step closer to creating a sustainable and cost-effective method of space travel. This is a game-changer for the future of space exploration and will allow humanity to explore deeper into the cosmos than ever before.
When humans finally land on Mars, we will look back to these early Starship launches as the starting point.
We should be celebrating this massive achievement for humanity. Instead, the mainstream media chose to focus on the fact there was a forced explosion or “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” That occurred because Starship failed to separate from its Super Heavy booster.
SpaceX showed it is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, including NASA
By quickly testing and iterating on each prototype, SpaceX can rapidly improve the design and performance of the Starship. This is in stark contrast to traditional aerospace companies (including NASA) that can take years, if not decades, to design and launch a new spacecraft.
The media chose not to highlight this important fact either. No headline celebrated the fact that SpaceX is leaving the competition in its dust. Instead, many outlets chose to focus on the explosion, completely ignoring the significant progress that SpaceX has made in perfecting the design and launch of an increasingly successful prototype.
This type of biased reporting is not only unfair to the SpaceX team, but it also undermines the importance of their accomplishments. The media has a responsibility to report the facts and provide accurate information to the public, but all too often, they allow their subjective biases to overshadow the truth.
It’s all about Elon
I’m not a big fan of Elon Musk. Anyone who has read my writing for long knows this. Ever since he dove headfirst into the Twitter cesspool, I think he’s done more harm than good for society.
My hope and excitement for SpaceX might change that perspective. Unfortunately, the media has decided to ignore objective reality and allow their subjective biases about Elon Musk to overshadow a historic event.
Don’t believe the current mainstream media hype about the Starship explosion. This latest launch was a huge success. We should be celebrating its incredible achievements.
I hope to see you on Mars soon.