TWiS 219: SpaceX Goes to War! - And Other Space Headlines

This week we're jumping into the space headlines for the past few weeks. It's been busy, and some exciting things are happening! A couple of companies are moving into the space solar power arena--something we've long advocated--and that's welcome progress. Starship is set to fly Starship test number 13, and a lot is riding on this--the system is overdue for some proof of concept to keep up with NASA's HLS contract. An exoplanet spotted a decade ago has shown signs of a potentially habitable atmosphere; there are landslides--big ones--on Pluto, and evidence of "space candy" sugars in an interstellar cloud are in the news. Finally, SpaceX is doubling down on their big defense contracts with a well-funded US Space Force. Join us for all the latest! Headlines: - SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Launch Aborted Due to Engine Issue - Meteorite Crashes Into New Jersey, Preserved Sample Fuels Origins of Life Research - Discovery of Atmosphere Around Habitable-Zone Exoplanet LHS 1140 b - NASA Moon Tree Planted After Artemis 1 Mission - Reflect Orbital to Launch Mirrors in Space, Sparking Astronomer Backlash - Landslides Found on Pluto Could Bury Entire Cities - Rare Sugar Found in Interstellar Cloud Hints at Building Blocks of Life - SpaceX's Growing Military Launch Contracts and Pentagon Ties - Space Development Agency's Expanding Satellite Constellation for Space Force - Starship's Dual Focus: NASA Moon Landings vs. Mars and Satellite Deployment - Artemis 3 Updates: New Renderings, Docking Plans, and Starlink HD Laser Payloads - Defense Innovation Unit's Push for Space-Based Power Beaming Technology - Pulse Space and Laser-Based Satellite Power and Communication - New Satellite Concept to Detect Nuclear Devices in Orbit Amid Global Security Concerns **Hosts:** Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Download or subscribe to *This Week in Space* at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. **Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!** Support what you love and get ad-free audio *and* video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit **Sponsors:** - blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT - ethos.com/twis