SpaceX launches test rocket, breaks apart before landing
Cape Canaveral, Mar 30: SpaceX chalked up another failed landing Tuesday for its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship, as the prototype Mars rocket broke apart right before touchdown.
A camera on the rocket froze not quite six minutes into the test flight, and dense fog in South Texas obscured views of the ruptured rocket.
Other video showed debris raining down and explosions could be heard.
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk tweeted that at least the crater is in the right place! He's named the launch and landing area at the southeastern tip of Texas, near the Mexico border, Starbase.
This was the fourth full-scale stainless steel model to launch since December to an altitude of more than 6 miles (10 kilometers). The previous three exploded at touchdown or shortly afterward.
Another exciting test, as we say, SpaceX launch commentator John Insprucker said as he concluded the webcast.
SpaceX plans to use Starship to send astronauts and cargo to the moon and, ultimately, Mars. Musk said earlier this month that SpaceX will be landing Starships on Mars well before 2030.
But he noted that the really hard threshold is making Mars Base Alpha self-sustaining.
At least the crater is in the right place!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2021
Looks like engine 2 had issues on ascent & didn’t reach operating chamber pressure during landing burn, but, in theory, it wasn’t needed.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2021
Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start. Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today.
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IT sleuths threatening raided leaders to claim money belongs to me, Cong: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday alleged that Income Tax department officials were conducting raids targeting the Congress, ahead of Lok Sabha polls, and are threatening leaders who faced raids to claim that money belongs to him and the party.
The state Congress president also claimed that the department is working like "BJP agents".
IT sleuths on Wednesday conducted simultaneous raids at some locations in and around Bengaluru, belonging to businessmen and associates of prominent political leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.
"The Income Tax department is being used to target only Congress party people, they haven't got money from anyone. Income Tax people are threatening everyone to say that money belongs to Shivakumar, Congress money," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "they (IT sleuths) have to do searches for an hour or so and go back; instead, people are being forced to sit with them for an entire day, not allowing them to be involved in election activities. I did not expect such politics from the Income Tax."
"Let them go, do searches. Did they go to anyone from BJP? Don't they know where BJP is distributing money? Is there no list? You (IT) have kept people for watch, what are they doing? Like BJP agents you are working. Yesterday at three or four places our Congress leaders specifically from Bangalore Rural segment were targeted," he added.
Shivakumar's brother and present MP D K Suresh is the Congress candidate from Bangalore Rural, which goes to the polls on Friday.
According to sources, the search on Wednesday was focused on places belonging to a prominent leader who organised campaign rallies for the Congress.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making certain statements recently against the ruling Congress in the state, out of "frustration."
"But, they will fail once again here (in Karnataka). I have already said they won't get double digits here," he said. Karnataka has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Slamming Modi over his 'mangalsutra' remark, the KPCC chief sought to highlight the alleged spike in gold prices under his rule and said, "(the issue is) women are unable to wear mangalsutra (unable to afford gold)...not mangalsutras being snatched by the Congress."
Reacting to Congress leader Sam Pitroda's "inheritance tax" remarks, Shivakumar said, no such things have been decided in the party, and it is not the party's stand, and "we will not allow it."
"This is India. Already Jairam Ramesh (Congress' in-charge Communications) has spoken on behalf of the party. There is no such tax, what is there in this country, our traditions and practices, will continue...what we have said in our manifesto that's all, nothing other than that," he said, as he tried to distance the party from such remarks.
