Okay, so SpaceX squeezed in another Starlink launch, dodging the FAA's new curfew like a caffeinated squirrel avoiding traffic. Booster landed, satellites deployed, the whole shebang. Are we supposed to be impressed? Because frankly, I'm just tired.

SpaceX launched its Starlink 10-51 mission early Sunday morning after scrubbing Saturday’s attempt due to bad weather. Fine. They used booster B1069 for its twenty-eighth flight. Twenty-eight! It’s like these rockets are just disposable tin cans at this point. They stick a few more Starlink satellites on top—29 "V2 Mini Optimized" ones this time—and call it progress. For more details on the launch, see SpaceX launches Sunday Starlink mission following Saturday scrub – Spaceflight Now.

The FAA's "Gift"

Here's the real kicker: this launch happened right before the FAA dropped its emergency directive, restricting commercial launches between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting November 10th. Apparently, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, pulling double duty as NASA’s acting administrator because of the ongoing government shutdown, also decided to trim flights at major airports. Because, you know, space and air traffic are totally interchangeable.

So, SpaceX gets to sneak one more launch in under the wire, and we're supposed to cheer? Give me a break. The FAA's reasoning is probably some bureaucratic nightmare no one understands, and I ain't even gonna pretend I do. But what does it all mean?

They say it won't impact Rocket Lab much since their New Zealand launches are outside US airspace. Lucky them. But what about missions like Transporter-15 needing Sun-synchronous orbits? Will they get a "special exemption"?

And the FAA? Radio silence. “Due to a lapse in funding, the FAA is not responding to routine media inquiries.” Of course. Perfect.

Fireballs and Shenanigans

Oh, and let's not forget the "fireball" spotted in Florida skies right before the launch attempt. Some thought it was space junk, others a meteorite. Turns out, it wasn't a SpaceX rocket explosion (thank god), but still... a random fireball? Before a space x launch? What are the odds?

I mean, FLORIDA TODAY's Executive Editor Mara Bellaby saw a "possible satellite breaking apart" while jogging. A satellite breaking apart. Is this the future we wanted? A sky full of space junk and exploding satellites?

And it's not even a new thing. Remember that Starship launch from Texas back in October? People in Florida saw that too. Debris from a previous Starship explosion in March was visible from Florida to the Caribbean! We're becoming a cosmic garbage dump, and nobody seems to care.

The Starlink Black Hole

Here’s what really grinds my gears: Starlink. It’s supposed to bring internet to the world, right? A noble goal, offcourse. But at what cost? More satellites mean more light pollution, more potential for collisions, more excuses for Elon Musk to tweet cryptic nonsense.

I wonder how much of this is really about connecting rural communities, and how much is about Musk's ego and empire-building. Let's be real.

And what about the FAA restrictions? Are they actually about safety, or just another way for the government to meddle in private enterprise? Then again, maybe some regulation is needed. Maybe I'm being too cynical. Nah.

So, What's the Real Story?

It's a race to colonize space before we've even figured out how not to trash the planet. And SpaceX is winning, whether we like it or not.