New Glenn Launches, Starship Explodes. Plus, Nuclear Oil Breakthrough

From rebuilding our industrial base to advancing cutting-edge technologies, the incoming administration's plans promise to propel our nation forward, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and reasserting American dominance on Earth and beyond.

New Glenn Launches, Starship Explodes. Plus, Nuclear Oil Breakthrough
The SpaceX launch tower grabs the Superheavy booster out of the air in Test Flight 7.

Space Exploration Milestones

New Glenn's Maiden Flight

Thursday, January 16, 2025, marked a significant day for space exploration.

In the early hours, Blue Origin achieved a major milestone by successfully reaching orbit with the inaugural flight of its New Glenn launch vehicle.

However, the first stage failed in its attempt to land on a ship at sea.

Starship/Superheavy Test Flight 7

Later that day, SpaceX conducted its seventh test flight of the Starship/Superheavy combination.

While the Superheavy booster successfully returned to the launch tower arms for the second consecutive time, the Starship encountered issues:

  • Engine failures occurred as the Starship neared the end of its rocket burn
  • Flames were observed along the vehicle's side
  • The Starship ultimately disintegrated

Vehicle Comparison

A visual comparison of various launch vehicles:

At the far left is the Starship/Superheavy in Test Flight 7 configuration, 4th from left is the Saturn V, sixth from left is the New Glenn followed by the Space Launch System, and at the far right is the Ariane 6 that launched the Webb Telescope.

Production Capabilities and Future Plans

Blue Origin

  • Impressive production facilities established
  • Aiming for approximately 12 New Glenn launches this year
  • Focusing on payload delivery while perfecting reusability

SpaceX

  • Extensive production infrastructure in place
  • Targeting 25 Starship/Superheavy launches this year
  • Benefiting from successful soft landings of version 1 Starships

Preliminary Failure Analysis

Elon Musk provided an initial report on the Starship loss, with expectations to fly again in February. The investigation will likely focus on recent changes made in the transition from Block 1 to Block 2 configuration.

Elon Musk's preliminary report on the loss of the Starship. He expects to fly again in February.

Nuclear Oil: Combining Hydrogen and Atmospheric CO2

Valar Atomics

Isaiah Taylor, the 25-year-old founder of Valar Atomics, is pioneering a revolutionary approach to energy production:

  • Developing Small Modular High Temperature Gas Reactors
  • Planning Gigasites with 100 to 1,000 reactors
  • Utilizing high-temperature reactor output to extract hydrogen from water
  • Combining hydrogen with atmospheric CO2 to produce synthetic crude oil
Valar Atomics
Lowest-cost, carbon-neutral fuels

Looking Ahead

In the upcoming American Golden Age with Trump, America should provide financial backing to overcome obstacles in perfecting processes and products, fostering innovation and progress across various sectors.

Rebuild the USA: The Trump Presidency and Beyond

After all the years of campaigning, Americans have finally come to the agreement that we will Make America Great Again. But, how do we actually implement the intention, and with a minimum of mistakes along the way?

Available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon

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