Technologies

SpaceX’s Starship Could Launch Just Weeks After NASA’s First Artemis Mission

A pair of monster rockets are set to make history before the new year.

There could be a tremendous amount of space travel history made in the closing weeks of 2022 as two long-awaited and game-changing rockets are now set to make their first trips to space within weeks of each other.

NASA says it is confident its new Space Launch System and Orion capsule are ready for blastoff on Nov. 14 for the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the moon, if the weather around Florida cooperates. Meanwhile, another vehicle that the space agency has adopted into its Artemis program to return humans to the moon — the Starship from SpaceX and Elon Musk — could finally fly beyond the bounds of Earth’s atmosphere for the first time in early December.

Both mega rockets have been years in the making and are ready to set new marks when it comes to power and lifting capacity. If Artemis I does get off the ground next week after several delays, it will become the most powerful operational rocket in the world, and NASA’s most powerful ever. But it could be eclipsed just a few weeks laterby Starship and its Super Heavy booster, which is designed to deliver even more thrust than the SLS.

All of this is in the service of pushing humans farther out into the solar system, first by establishing a permanent base on the surface of the moon through a series of Artemis missions, and then on to Mars in the 2030s. Both the SLS/Orion combo and Starship will likely play a role in delivering infrastructure and astronauts to the moon over the next decade. NASA selected Starship as a human landing system for the Artemis program last year.

That’s the plan, anyway. First, both of these vehicles have to prove they can get off the ground. We’ve seen the Starship fly high in the atmosphere and come back for a landing, but it has yet to visit space, and the Super Heavy booster needed to make it to the moon hasn’t left the surface.

As for Artemis I and SLS, the saga is much longer, with the banger rocket way overbudget and years behind schedule. Attempts to launch in recent months have been set back by engine troubles, pesky leaks and a rude visit from Hurricane Ian. The rocket was rolled back to the huge Vehicle Assembly Building on Cape Canaveral for safe-keeping and repairs. Now it’s back on the launch pad, and NASA says it is ready to go for launch just after midnight ET on Nov. 14 (9:07 p.m. PT on Nov. 13).

Meanwhile, Starship is working through a long to-do list leading up to its first orbital flight.

«Right now, the schedule would lead to an early December test flight,» NASA’s Mark Kirasich, who oversees Artemis development, told an advisory council on Oct. 31.

Between now and then, Starship still needs to conduct a test firing of its engines and perform a «wet dress rehearsal» where fuel is loaded into the rocket and a mock countdown is run. SpaceX also still must secure its launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration, which gave a conditional green light to Starship moving forward in June, but with a laundry list of 75 modifications to the plan that needed to be done first.

Starship’s planned first flight will be considerably shorter than that of Artemis I. The SpaceX system will blast off from Texas and make a quick trip to orbit before splashing down in the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii. Artemis, on the other hand, is set to fly Orion around the far side of the moon before coming back to Earth.

NASA plans to begin its livestreaming coverage of the countdown to Artemis I launch on Nov. 11 with a prelaunch briefing at 4 p.m. PT.

Technologies

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for May 20, #443

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 443 for May 20.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle reminds me that I haven’t had a meal in a fancy restaurant in some time. Maybe it’s time to make a reservation. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Oh, of course!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Elegant eats.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

SITE, FINE, SINE, DINE, PEAS, TEEN, PEER, STEEP, DEER, SEED, SEEN, POET, TREE, NOPE, SEES.

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

SOUP, SALAD, CHEESE, ENTREE, DESSERT, APPETIZERS

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FINEDINING. To find it, start with the F that’s three letters down on the farthest row to the left, and wind across.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for May 24, #713

Hints and answers for Connections for May 24, #713.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections puzzle has a fun variety of categories. The purple one appeals to my English major heart. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Goo-goo.

Green group hint: Not shirts.

Blue group hint: City that never sleeps.

Purple group hint: Acclaimed writers.