Florida's "Space Coast" is Officially Just a Starlink Launchpad
Okay, so Florida's Space Coast is patting itself on the back for hitting 100 rocket launches this year? Give me a break. Let's be real: 67 of them were just Elon Musk chucking more Starlink satellites into orbit. That's not exactly the Right Stuff, is it? More like the "Right to Monetize Low Earth Orbit."
Col. Brian Chatman is out there saying, “We are breaking records across the board... 100 launches is a complete game changer on the Space Coast." A game changer? Or just a really efficient way to clutter up the sky with space junk and sell internet to people who can already afford it? I'm not seeing the "game changing" part for, like, humanity. According to 'Breaking records across the board.' SpaceX launches Florida's 100th rocket of the year, the Space Coast is celebrating this milestone. And the whole "more launches than the rest of the world combined" stat? Sure, sounds impressive. But if one company is responsible for, like, 75% of those launches, is that really something to brag about? Feels more like a monopoly in progress, and offcourse that's concerning. What happens when Elon decides he wants to charge us all $500 a month for internet access from space? Are we just supposed to bend over and take it?
The Von Braun Fantasy
They're trotting out the ghost of Wernher Von Braun, too? "Von Braun would be a happy man," says some space history professor. Maybe. Or maybe he'd be horrified that his dreams of exploring the cosmos have been reduced to a giant, orbiting cash register.
It's like that old saying about the guy who invented the printing press hoping it would spread knowledge, not just cat videos and conspiracy theories. Von Braun wanted to go to Mars. We're getting… more reliable Netflix streaming.
The article mentions they thought they'd hit 100 launches last year, but "hurricanes and a few Falcon 9 rocket mishaps" got in the way. A few "mishaps"? That's one way to put it. Rockets exploding mid-air ain't exactly a minor inconvenience. And they're planning on up to 300 launches a year by 2040? Seriously? What's that going to do to the night sky? Are we just going to accept a future where you can't see the stars anymore because they're all blocked by Starlink satellites? Is anyone even thinking about the long-term consequences, or are we too busy celebrating "efficiency"?
The Future is Now, and It's Crowded
And let's talk about these "efficiencies" they're so proud of. The Falcon 9 booster landing on a drone ship? Cool trick, I guess. But it's still burning tons of fuel and pumping exhaust into the atmosphere. It's like bragging about how fuel-efficient your monster truck is. Okay, but it's still a monster truck.
They launched another 29 Starlink satellites on Nov 22nd. So what? We're supposed to be impressed by the relentless march of progress? The Space Coast is aiming for between 100 to 120 rocket launches next year. According to SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center – Spaceflight Now, this launch occurred on November 22nd.
I have to wonder, who is actually benefiting from all this activity? Is it the average person, or is it just a handful of billionaires who are getting richer while the rest of us are stuck dealing with climate change, political division, and the rising cost of living?
Is This Progress, or Just More Noise?
Look, I get it. Space is cool. Rockets are cool. But let's not pretend that launching a hundred Starlink satellites is some kind of monumental achievement for humanity. It's a business transaction, plain and simple. And frankly, it's starting to feel like we're sacrificing the beauty and wonder of space for the sake of faster internet speeds and corporate profits. Then again, maybe I'm just a grumpy old cynic who needs to get with the times...nah.
So, What's the Real Story?
It's just a race to monetize low Earth orbit, and we're all paying the price, one way or another.
