As I’ve mentioned to you before, you can contact Elon Musk (and numerous SpaceX staff) fairly easily on X. They often reply even to very small accounts. Want an answer? Tweet at the guy.

Jeff Wright,

There’s no good reason to delay Starship for Starlink launches when Falcon 9 has launched more than ten thousand already. Diverting effort (when the number of engines on the first stage is not an issue) is a waste of time and money.

F9 could be OTRAG’ d and it would work fine in a Saturn IB situation… that’s my bet. Keep Vacuum Raptors on an expendable upper stage long enough to bulk up Starlink numbers.

Starship can come later.

This is one reason for Elon Musk’s philosophy that the best part is no part. Not only does it make the structure lighter, allowing for more payload and a greater victory over the rocket equation, but it is one less part to fail at a bad time. Or at any time.

Now, for rapid reuse’s sake…the pad has less give…. might that be hard on the rocket in turn?

One of the reasons I avoid doctors is due to a belief that I am in a negative homeostasis…so many things are trying to kill me I just don’t know which way to fall.

A fellow worker underwent a procedure only to have a mild stroke not long after

Where Falcon enjoys what one might call a sweet spot….the more complex a beast like SS/SH becomes….the more like a human body it seems.

That’s actually the biggest reason I like SLS…two RATOs and just four liquid engines…. don’t tempt fate more than you have to.

well, SpaceX could talk to the public a lot more, address their legitimate concerns. Good start is to respond to what Anton says:
https://youtu.be/oKK0dgDIxKY?si=N1HCjXL7sfjPKhqP

Summary of the video as posted on youtube:
As SpaceX prepares for a major IPO and expansion of the Starlink network, Anton Petrov explores the environmental impact of thousands of satellites burning up in the upper atmosphere. Recent research highlights how metallic vapors and lithium residues from these re-entries could alter atmospheric chemistry, raising concerns about potential long-term consequences for the planet.

Perfect.

Also, the “this is only a test” brings to mind the classic television We Control The Vertical, We Control The Horizontal. SpaceX certainly controls the huge SuperHeavy Booster and Starship, both horizontal and vertical. From the first videos of the return of SuperHeavy, seeming to hover over the water, to it nailing capture by the chopsticks. Whatever happens with the next launch, SpaceX will succeed with parts of it, learn and keep learning. What a great time to be alive!

The knives come out on social media whether a test is successful or not – or even whether there is a test or not. There’s just a lot of Musk Derangement Syndrome going around out there. Pay it all no mind. Just the usual pygmies trying to relieve themselves on the toes of a Titan.

Now on top of it all, comes the IPO! I wonder if they are technically set to host the size of TV audience they may get on Wednesday?!

And there’s the old story about how a NASA engineer wondered “Will the Saturn 5 go up, or will Florida go down?!” If he’s still around, imagine what he must think about Starship!