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Welcome back, everybody. 
Now, today's episode is going to

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be about Space XS Starship, 
because the thing might launch 

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in the next week, according to 
some insider sources. 

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But the FAA safety review of 
Space XS Starship marked a 

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significant milestone for the 
aerospace company. 

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Just recently, and after the 
explosive test flight in April, 

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the FAA grounded Starship to 
conduct a thorough 

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investigation. 
And this review was not just a 

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procedural step, but a deep dive
into the technical and 

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operational nuances of Spacex's 
Starship Super Heavy. 

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And the FAA evaluated the Super 
Heavy booster's performance, 

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specifically focusing on the 
unexpected rock tornado and the 

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subsequent damage to the 
surrounding environment. 

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A SpaceX commitment to safety 
was put to the test as a review 

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scrutinized the mishaps causes 
and examine the company's safety

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culture, the system safety 
processes, and the quantitative 

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risk analysis for launch and re 
entry operations. 

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Now in response to the FA as 
finding SpaceX undertook an 

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intensive period of reflection 
and revision. 

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The grounding period served as 
an impetus for the company to 

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pour over every detail of their 
operations, leading to the 

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identification of 63 corrective 
measures required before 

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Starship could return to the 
skies. 

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These actions were not merely 
reactive patches to the 

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identified issues, but proactive
steps towards ensuring A safer 

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and more reliable launch system 
altogether, and the changes 

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including redesigns to prevent 
leaks and fires, robustness 

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improvements to the launchpad 
and enhancement design process 

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reviews and the company 
adherence to these stringent 

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requirements underscores its 
dedication to advancing space 

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technology within the bounds of 
regulatory compliance and 

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operational safety. 
Now Spacex's transparent 

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approach to addressing the FAA 
safety concerns reflects the 

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company's maturity and the 
growing expertise in space site 

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and the redesigns, particularly 
of the vehicle hardware in the 

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launchpad aim to fortify 
Starship against the raw power 

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of the 33 Raptor engines. 
Now these engines, while a 

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marvel of engineering, unleashed
a force that was previously 

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underestimated, prompting a re 
evaluation of the vehicle's 

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design and the launch 
infrastructure. 

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That Spacex's approach to 
revising its design process, 

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including more rigorous analysis
and testing of safety critical 

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systems like the Autonomous 
Flight Safety system, 

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demonstrates A commitment to 
improvement and learning from 

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these experiences and look into 
the future. 

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The FAA safety review completion
is more than just a checkbox for

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SpaceX. 
It's an affirmation of the 

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company's ability to innovate 
within the stringent demands of 

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aerospace safety standards. 
In the successful implementation

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of the FAA's prescribed 
correction actions signifies not

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only a step closer to Starship's
return to flight, but also a 

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precedent for the safety 
protocols for the future 

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missions of space. 
The environmental review process

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for Spacex's Starship is as 
crucial as the technical safety 

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reviews. 
The US Fish and Wildlife 

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Services Environmental 
Assessment is a comprehensive 

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examination of starship's 
potential impacts on local 

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habitat, which is home to a 
variety of species, including 

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some that are endangered. 
And this review takes into 

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account not only the immediate 
effects of a launch, like 

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potential habitat disruption and
noise pollution, but also long 

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term considerations such as the 
impact of construction and 

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increased human activity around 
the Boca Chica site. 

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The introduction of the Deluge 
System is one of the many steps 

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that SpaceX has taken to 
mitigate the environmental 

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impacts of the systems. 
Now, this system, which sprays 

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vast quantities of water to 
absorb the shock in the noise of

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the Raptor engines at launch, 
represents a significant 

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engineering effort to protect 
the local ecosystem. 

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However, the solution is not 
without its challenges. 

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The water used in the system, 
now exposed to extreme heat and 

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potentially hazardous materials,
poses a risk to the wetland 

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habitats around the launch site.
State and federal environmental 

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officials are thus closely 
examining the system's 

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effectiveness, its potential to 
harm the delicate ecological 

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balance of this region. 
And in addition to the 

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environmental review by the US 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 

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SpaceX must also navigate the 
complexities of multiple 

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regulatory bodies, and the 
ongoing collaboration with local

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and federal agencies reflects 
Spacex's understanding of the 

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importance of environmental 
stewardship. 

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The company's efforts to clean 
up debris from the April launch 

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in the continuous communication 
with the Texas Parks and 

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Wildlife Department illustrate 
an ongoing commitment to not 

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only comply with environmental 
regulations, but also to be a 

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good steward of the natural 
resources that surround the star

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based facility. 
Now, the environmental 

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assessments outcome will play a 
huge role in Starship's future. 

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If the US Fish and Wildlife 
Services review concludes 

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positively, it'll mark another 
step forward for SpaceX. 

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However, should it identify 
further concerns, SpaceX will be

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required to undertake additional
measures to safeguard the 

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environment. 
The aftermath of the April test 

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flights incident has been a 
period of intense scrutiny and 

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overhaul for SpaceX 2. 
The explosive failure during the

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test, which resulted in debris 
being scattered over a wide area

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and causing fires, necessitated 
A comprehensive review of the 

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Starship and all of the ground 
systems in the FAA's 

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investigation brought to light 
several root causes, including 

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issues with the flight 
termination system that resulted

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in a delayed explosion. 
The 42nd delay in the 

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termination sequence in 
particular pointed to potential 

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vulnerabilities in the system 
that could pose risks not only 

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to the Starship and a super 
heavy, but also to the public 

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safety during future flights. 
Spacex's response to the FAA's 

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review was swift and thorough. 
The corrective actions 

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identified spanned a wide range 
of improvements, from hardware 

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designs to the implementation of
more rigorous testing protocols,

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and one of the key areas of 
focus was on the launchpad 

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itself. 
The sheer power of the 

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Starship's 33 Raptor engines had
not been fully anticipated, 

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resulting in the pad surface 
being absolutely obliterated, 

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and Spacex's design aims to 
increase the launchpad's 

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robustness, ensuring it can 
withstand the tremendous forces 

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of future launches. 
And the corrective actions also 

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extended to the Starship's 
process. 

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The FAA called for more in depth
reviews and analysis of safety 

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critical systems. 
This included the Autonomous 

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Flight Safety System, which is 
crucial for ensuring that the 

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vehicle can be terminated safely
in the event of an anomaly 

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during flight. 
The corrective action is 

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dictated by The FAA formed a 
comprehensive checklist for 

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SpaceX to address the issues 
observed during the April 

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launch. 
These included fundamental 

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redesigns of the vehicle's 
hardware, particularly those 

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elements that could leak or 
potentially cause fires. 

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A significant portion of these 
modifications focused on 

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ensuring that all systems are 
robust against the extreme 

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conditions of spaceflight, such 
as the thermal and pressure 

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stresses experienced during the 
launch and RE entry. 

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Furthermore, the company was 
mandated to overhaul this 

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launchpad critical 
infrastructure that supports the

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vehicle before and during the 
early stages of ascent, and this

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redesign aimed to increase the 
pads resilience against the 

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formidable thrust produced by 
the Super heavy boosters Raptor 

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engines. 
In addition to the physical 

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improvements to the hardware and
infrastructure, SpaceX was 

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prompted to enhance its design 
review process. 

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This change was not merely 
procedural, it represented A 

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fundamental shift towards a more
cautious and thorough approach 

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to vehicle safety. 
The company increased its 

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analysis and testing of all 
safety critical systems, 

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including those responsible for 
autonomous flight termination. 

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Change control practices were 
also a significant area of focus

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in the corrective action plan. 
SpaceX implemented additional 

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measures to ensure that all 
changes to the vehicle or 

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systems, no matter how minor or 
thoroughly vetted and tested 

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before being approved. 
This level of meticulousness in 

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change management is vital in 
any industry where even the 

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smallest oversight can lead to 
catastrophic outcomes. 

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The changes aim to establish a 
culture where continuous 

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improvement is balanced with 
stringent control and oversight.

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And the launchpad redesign 
reflects Spacex's dedication not

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just to the Super heavy goals of
getting to Mars, but it's also 

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the safety concern that they're 
worried about. 

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And by increasing the robustness
of the launchpad and refining 

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the safety measures for the 
Starship vehicle, SpaceX is 

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laying the groundwork for a more
resilient star base 

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infrastructure in the future. 
These efforts, while prompted by

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a pass failure are 
forward-looking and are expected

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to form the foundation of safer,
more reliable and increasingly 

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ambitious star based action in 
the future. 

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Now I want to say thank you so 
much for listening to the show 

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today. 
If you like this episode, please

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hit the like, follow or 
subscribe button on whatever 

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platform you're on right now. 
I appreciate it. 

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We're growing tremendously 
because of you and you are 

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joining this community and 
because you believe in our 

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mission here. 
So thank you so much for that 

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and please take care of 
yourselves and each other and I 

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will see you tomorrow.