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Hi everybody, and welcome back 
to the show. 

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This is where we explore the 
fascinating intersections of 

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SpaceX, Tesla X, Boring Company,
and Nerlink. 

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This is the Elon Musk Podcast, 
and I'm your host, Will Walden. 

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Today we're diving into a 
riveting space mystery. 

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In March 2022, a piece of 
Chinese space debris made a 

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startling impact on the Moon, 
leaving behind a particular 

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double crater. 
Now this impacts NASA's upcoming

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flights of Artemis and possibly 
Spacex's Starship flights to the

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Moon. 
Now this intriguing event has 

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captured the attention of 
astronomers and researchers 

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worldwide. 
The debris, identified as a part

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of a Chinese Long March 3C 
rocket booster, collided with a 

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lunar surface near the Hertz 
Sprung crater. 

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Researchers from the University 
of Arizona have published a 

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study suggesting this booster 
carried an undisclosed payload. 

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Adding to the mystery now, the 
story of this lunar anomaly 

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dates back to 2015, and 
astronomers initially mistook 

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the debris for a SpaceX Falcon 9
booster. 

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However, later analysis 
confirmed its origins in China's

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lunar Rover mission. 
The recent study reveals notable

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deviations in the debris 
behavior in space. 

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A typical rocket booster would 
exhibit some wobbling due to its

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asymmetrical structure. 
This booster exhibited a stable 

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and over and tumbling motion, 
hinting at additional mass. 

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Now this additional mass likely 
counterbalance the heavy engines

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on the rocket's bottom, and the 
engines weighed approximately 

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1200 lbs each sans the fuel now.
The known instruments on the 

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booster, however, weighed only 
about 60 lbs in total, and the 

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impact on the Moon created not 
one, but two distinct craters. 

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Such a phenomenon is 
unprecedented in lunar 

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exploration history. 
Now, this unique double crater 

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formation further supports the 
hypothesis of an extra payload. 

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Identifying the nature of this 
additional payload has proven 

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challenging, though. 
The Change 5T1 mission, launched

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in 2014, was initially involved 
in this confusion, and the 

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mysterious payload could have 
been anything from extra 

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structural support. 
Two unknown instrumentation. 

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NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance 
Orbiter captured images of these

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craters, providing crucial data 
for analysis, and the images 

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showed 2 overlapping craters at 
the Hertz Brung crater on the 

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Moon's far side. 
Such a discovery had never been 

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seen before in previous NASA 
moon impacts. 

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The University of Arizona 
researchers conducted a detailed

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analysis using light reflection 
data and computer simulations, 

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and these efforts link the 
debris to the Change 5T1 rocket.

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And this analysis contradicted 
the Chinese space agency's claim

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that the rocket had 
disintegrated in Earth's 

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atmosphere. 
This incident highlights the 

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growing need for space 
situational awareness, and as 

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human activities in space 
increase, monitoring defunct 

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space hardware becomes crucial. 
The University of Arizona Space 

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4 Center is actively engaging in
this critical research area. 

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While the nature of the extra 
payload might remain a mystery 

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for now, the incident offers 
valuable insights. 

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It emphasizes the importance of 
understanding and tracking 

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debris and could affect upcoming
missions to the lunar surface. 

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NASA's Artemis mission, which is
slated for 2024 or 2025, will be

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looking closely at the data to 
better understand the risks 

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involved. 
Now, keeping on the topic of 

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spaceflight and SpaceX, there's 
a fascinating topic surrounding 

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Spacex's Starship, the company's
flagship spacecraft designed for

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ambitious missions to Mars and 
beyond. 

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If you're not familiar now, Elon
Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, 

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recently shared insights into 
why the Starship adopts A2 stage

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design rather than a single 
stage to orbit the SSTO model, 

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which is a concept that has been
a topic of discussion lately. 

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And here's what happened. 
SpaceX Starship, which is a 

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pivotal for the company's plans 
for space exploration, comprises

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of two main parts. the Super 
Heavy booster in the spacecraft,

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the Starship itself. 
Together, it's called the 

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Starship Super Heavy, and this 
design is crucial for its 

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intended missions to orbit to 
the Moon and to Mars. 

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And the conversation about 
Starship design was sparked by a

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user on X. 
They edited a photo showing the 

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Starship without it's super 
heavy booster, essentially 

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presenting it as an SSTO 
vehicle, just the Starship 

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flying to orbit. 
Musk, known for his interactive 

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social media presence, responded
to this post explaining the 

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impracticality of an SSTO design
for Earth due to its higher 

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gravity, in contrast to Mars 
where such a design would be 

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more feasible Now. 
To understand this better, it's 

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important to know that SSTO 
refers to a spacecraft reaching 

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orbit with only one stage 
without shedding parts like 

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traditional rockets like 
boosters falling off and falling

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into the ocean. 
In this concept, while 

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theoretically appealing, has not
yet been achieved from Earth. 

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Musk's response highlights the 
significant role of Earth's 

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gravity in dictating spacecraft 
design. 

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He points out that Mars, with 
its surface gravity about 37% of

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Earth, would require less energy
to escape its gravitational 

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pull, making SSTOA more viable 
option there. 

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Now this insight is crucial that
SpaceX continues to develop its 

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Starship for interplanetary 
travel, especially considering 

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the recent challenges the 
spacecraft has faced in recent 

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developments. 
The starship's second launch 

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attempt on November 18th 
encountered a little bit of a 

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set back. 
The mission saw successful stage

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separation, which is great, but 
the booster experienced an 

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explosion shortly thereafter 
while doing its kickback and 

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backflip maneuver. 
Now, furthermore, the spacecraft

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lost contact with SpaceX after 
reaching an altitude of nearly 

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150 kilometers. 
That's the Starship part, and 

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this failure to complete its 
intended round trip flight and 

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splash down the Pacific Ocean 
was a success. 

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It wasn't quite a failure, but 
it's not deterrent. 

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Musk, showcasing his unwavering 
determination, announced that 

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the hardware for Starship Flight
3 should be ready to fly in 

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three to four weeks, indicating 
Spacex's commitment to 

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overcoming these hurdles. 
Now, the discussion about the 

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SSTO and the challenges a 
spacecraft design in varying 

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gravitational environments opens
up broader considerations for 

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space exploration and as 
humanity looks towards 

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expeditions to Mars and perhaps 
even beyond. 

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The engineering and design 
choices made right now today by 

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SpaceX will lay the groundwork 
for these future endeavors. 

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Musk's insights into Starship 
design, in the rationale behind 

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his two stage configuration, 
provide a glimpse into the 

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complex and multifaceted nature 
of designing a spacecraft of 

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this magnitude that's capable of
not just leaving Earth's orbit, 

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but also landing on and taking 
off from other celestial bodies.

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Thank you for joining me today 
in this episode of the show. 

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of space mysteries and 

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technological advancements, 
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