Part of the launch pad ended up in the flame trench! Going to take time to repair.

lol Massey's took 8 months and SpaceX had a full team on site immediately with all kinds of experience building a pad.

Blue Origin will take AT LEAST a year before returning to flight. I'm hoping for late 2027.

Yep, NASA ain't going to let them do squat until the investigation is done, if I had to guess. Maybe with Isaacman that won't take 3 years, but it still won't be a rapid turnaround. I don't see a launch happening before November 2027.

PJYoung said:

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lol Massey's took 8 months and SpaceX had a full team on site immediately with all kinds of experience building a pad.

Blue Origin will take AT LEAST a year before returning to flight. I'm hoping for late 2027.

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I'm hoping for 2035

Artemis III crew to be publicly announced June 9 per NASA.

hockeyag said:

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The Blue Origin setback means they'll unleash their attorneys and NGOs to slow SpaceX down

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Yeah, that's where NASA or Trump admin leadership needs to put their hand on the scale and say we've got deadlines we want to meet.

TexAgs91 said:

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hockeyag said:

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The Blue Origin setback means they'll unleash their attorneys and NGOs to slow SpaceX down

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Yeah, that's where NASA or Trump admin leadership needs to put their hand on the scale and say we've got deadlines we want to meet.

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I think BO will stfu with their lawyers on everything but asking for more time to complete their constellation due to a Force Mejeure

Elon released the next part of Test Like You Fly

Good Starship highlights video pic.twitter.com/ropm7YWMLq

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2026

Elon reposted a Flight 12 hype recap. I like it, but it's not SpaceX's next release.

It's the next part of

It's noted as from Adrian Dittmann who is not a SpaceX employee. Also not available on the SpaceX website. The video is a bunch of well done recombination of SpaceX footage.

Gibbons Creek update:

Wit Tech LLC, a company associated with Musk’s xAI, has deals for parcels near the Gibbons Creek Reservoir in Grimes County. https://t.co/McVMgSg9AV

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) June 3, 2026

I don't want to derail the thread but for those who are interested there is a thread following the Grimes County issue. Meeting this morning, things are looking pretty positive that it will move forward.

https://texags.com/forums/35/topics/3265190

Terafab will be part of a project that launches 100s of thousands of satellites, generates .8 TW in space and may eventually include mass drivers on the moon, so yeah it's relevant.

BREAKING: SpaceX plans to price its IPO at $135 per share, selling 555.6 million shares to raise $75 billion in the largest IPO ever, Reuters reports.

That values SpaceX at $1.75 trillion. The roadshow begins Thursday.

Setting a target price this early is highly unusual.… pic.twitter.com/WrlukyjPw0

— Muskonomy (@muskonomy) June 3, 2026

techno-ag said:

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Gibbons Creek update:

Wit Tech LLC, a company associated with Musk’s xAI, has deals for parcels near the Gibbons Creek Reservoir in Grimes County. https://t.co/McVMgSg9AV

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) June 3, 2026

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I saw that the tax abatement has been approved and that's big. I clicked the link in the X post and figured with other ancillary businesses starting to acquire land and actually physically holding the deeds that this is/was moving forward.

My personal editorializing...

• I suppose this follow-on business that's mentioned in the X post & article will probably be associated with the on-orbit DC? Or do we think they will additionally have a terrestrial DC that is standalone? I realize whatever is on orbit will likely need a ground based interactive counterpart, though I suppose that too could be distributed.
• I laugh when I hear or read people criticizing Elon or one of his associated projects, in this case the tax abatement, and lead with: "He's the richest man in the world. He doesn't need a tax abatement." They've just shown they know nothing about business, and specifically business development, and they're sowing they only have an emotional argument opposed to a fact based argument. Their emotions are based in Greed and Envy; two of the seven deadly sins.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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techno-ag said:

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Gibbons Creek update:

Wit Tech LLC, a company associated with Musk’s xAI, has deals for parcels near the Gibbons Creek Reservoir in Grimes County. https://t.co/McVMgSg9AV

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) June 3, 2026

---

I saw that the tax abatement has been approved and that's big. I clicked the link in the X post and figured with other ancillary businesses starting to acquire land and actually physically holding the deeds that this is/was moving forward.

My personal editorializing...

• I suppose this follow-on business that's mentioned in the X post & article will probably be associated with the on-orbit DC? Or do we think they will additionally have a terrestrial DC that is standalone? I realize whatever is on orbit will likely need a ground based interactive counterpart, though I suppose that too could be distributed.
• I laugh when I hear or read people criticizing Elon or one of his associated projects, in this case the tax abatement, and lead with: "He's the richest man in the world. He doesn't need a tax abatement." They've just shown they know nothing about business, and specifically business development, and they're sowing they only have an emotional argument opposed to a fact based argument. Their emotions are based in Greed and Envy; two of the seven deadly sins.

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Their emotions are based on two things:

First, many moved to rural Grimes County to live in a rural county. They don't want it to change. Although Grimes County is changing, the sudden influx of people, traffic, and development is what most want to prevent. Greed and envy have little to do with their emotional objections.

Second, most of the negotiations and discussions by the county leaders have been held in closed sessions. They also refused to do more than offer two minute venting to the citizens. Being more open during the process and having at least one community meeting where questions could be asked and answered would have made many feel better. Right now those who live in or next to the development zone don't know what that means. They also have questions about natural resource use, power, and environmental impacts that were never publicly addressed. Since citizens have been kept in the dark, they only have emotional arguments. Few facts have been provided to allow county citizens to make rational arguments.

Overall the development is probably a great thing for the area, but I can sympathize with those who will be most impacted and have been given no information about how their situation will be impacted by the project.

I was referring to those that start their arguments against tax abatements on Elons personal wealth. I saw it numerous times, and it was again an argument used by someone quoted by AAS in the linked X post.

But you are correct that many just don't want to see change beyond whatever their personal snapshot of life there is like.

Additionally so many dont know, have forgotten, or lived so blissfully ignorant under their rock, that that site is an industrial brownfield former coal mine and power plant. It's not virgin farm land and was never going to be a park or lake front neighborhood

Kenneth_2003 said:

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I was referring to those that start their arguments against tax abatements on Elons personal wealth. I saw it numerous times, and it was again an argument used by someone quoted by AAS in the linked X post.

But you are correct that many just don't want to see change beyond whatever their personal snapshot of life there is like.

Additionally so many dont know, have forgotten, or lived so blissfully ignorant under their rock, that that site is an industrial brownfield former coal mine and power plant. It's not virgin farm land and was never going to be a park or lake front neighborhood

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Yes, the power plant site is ideal for a large manufacturing facility. And, granted, many in Grimes County are against any change in general.

However, the redevelopment zone goes well beyond the power plant site. It takes up almost 5% of the entire county. East to west the zone stretches from Carlos (FM 244) to Singleton and Roan's Prairie. North-south it goes from acreage south of Hwy 30 (to M-Beaux's Restaurant) to north of Keith.

https://grimescountytx.govoffice.com/vertical/Sites/%7B958238D0-27E6-4F6C-919E-F1D98542C5FD%7D/uploads/SpaceX_Proposed_Reinvestment_Zone_Maps_-_Rendered_based_on_submitted_R-numbers.pdf

Many current residents will be directly affected by this project. Those inside the reinvestment zone have no idea what it means for them. Yes, there is a lot of ranch land and undeveloped acres within the redevelopment zone.

BuddysBud said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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I was referring to those that start their arguments against tax abatements on Elons personal wealth. I saw it numerous times, and it was again an argument used by someone quoted by AAS in the linked X post.

But you are correct that many just don't want to see change beyond whatever their personal snapshot of life there is like.

Additionally so many dont know, have forgotten, or lived so blissfully ignorant under their rock, that that site is an industrial brownfield former coal mine and power plant. It's not virgin farm land and was never going to be a park or lake front neighborhood

---

Yes, the power plant site is ideal for a large manufacturing facility. And, granted, many in Grimes County are against any change in general.

However, the redevelopment zone goes well beyond the power plant site. It takes up almost 5% of the entire county. East to west the zone stretches from Carlos (FM 244) to Singleton and Roan's Prairie. North-south it goes from acreage south of Hwy 30 (to M-Beaux's Restaurant) to north of Keith.

https://grimescountytx.govoffice.com/vertical/Sites/%7B958238D0-27E6-4F6C-919E-F1D98542C5FD%7D/uploads/SpaceX_Proposed_Reinvestment_Zone_Maps_-_Rendered_based_on_submitted_R-numbers.pdf

Many current residents will be directly affected by this project. Those inside the reinvestment zone have no idea what it means for them. Yes, there is a lot of ranch land and undeveloped acres within the redevelopment zone.

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Years ago I toured the old coal plant. They had something like six square miles of land with giant conveyer belts to pull in the lignite that was dug up out there. It was messy and dirty and loud. I'm going to bet residents will prefer this setup to almost any other option that could have gone in there.

The citizens of Grimes County seem content to have large swaths of farm and ranch land wasted with ugly solar farms, and they don't complain about being the dumping ground for Brazos County trash (which apparently is expanding). Change already had begun.

This project not only takes unused land but it can provide a real economic benefit, much greater than solar farms and landfills.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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I was referring to those that start their arguments against tax abatements on Elons personal wealth. I saw it numerous times, and it was again an argument used by someone quoted by AAS in the linked X post.

But you are correct that many just don't want to see change beyond whatever their personal snapshot of life there is like.

Additionally so many dont know, have forgotten, or lived so blissfully ignorant under their rock, that that site is an industrial brownfield former coal mine and power plant. It's not virgin farm land and was never going to be a park or lake front neighborhood

---

I saw these comments being more from ignorance than envy. Nobody who spoke seemed to be envious of Musk's wealth. However many spoke against some of his business practices.

SpaceX: Musk will hold about 82.4% of the voting power. https://t.co/QrnVq2SIsI

— FinancialJuice (@financialjuice) June 3, 2026

Elon on the Grimes County Commisioners' votes today.

Something that perhaps isn’t clear is that, if this location works out (other locations are still in the running), SpaceX will still be paying an annual amount that increases tax revenue for Grimes County by ~25% and will be by far the biggest source of revenue for the county.…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2026

Something that perhaps isn't clear is that, if this location works out (other locations are still in the running), SpaceX will still be paying an annual amount that increases tax revenue for Grimes County by ~25% and will be by far the biggest source of revenue for the county.

Taking into account taxes paid by SpaceX employees and contractors, Terafab will far exceed ALL revenue that Grimes County currently earns!

The reason SpaceX asked for this, which is standard practice for massive capital investments, is because Terafab will have a large number of extremely expensive machines for making chips. Property tax on these crazy money machines would put us at a serious competitive disadvantage relative to other chip fabs in the world.

Also like to point out that they bought 6,000 acres and the water rights on May 28, a week before the Commissioners' meeting today. I'm sure other sites are in the running....but that seems like a vote of confidence beyond what the post conveys.

normaleagle05 said:

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Also like to point out that they bought 6,000 acres and the water rights on May 28, a week before the Commissioners' meeting today. I'm sure other sites are in the running....but that seems like a vote of confidence beyond what the post conveys.

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What do you mean "purchased" water rights? Where they not already with the surface estate? Did they make a deal with tceq for surface water?

Answer after a brief look- lots of water rights issues going on with these tracts of land, both sub and surface. It appears everything already done conveyed to to new surface owner, but I honestly didn't go beyond briefly reading the exhibits.

WARRANTY DEED
Document Number:
2026-355099
Number of Pages:
15
Recorded Date:
5/28/2026 2:29 PM

2026-354846 MULTIPLE PROPERTIES SEE INSTRUMENT


GIBBONS TRACT 2A LP WIT TECH LLC WARRANTY DEED 5/28/2026 2026-355097 --/--/-- Survey - Name: P GOODBREAD SUR Survey: 223 Acres: 348.59

GIBBONS TRACT 8 LP WIT TECH LLC WARRANTY DEED 5/28/2026 2026-355099

Always something to B.... about. Good response by Isaacman.

I respectfully have a different take...

A major vendor, @UnionPacific, decided to paint one of its locomotives in patriotic colors to celebrate America’s 250th birthday as it transports components of a NASA rocket. They also decided to paint “45 47” on the train to recognize the… https://t.co/5XJ1sAx4Yz pic.twitter.com/XLX8N079os

— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) June 3, 2026

Not too derail... But the railroad are extremely patriotic.
UP has worked with their competition/partners to get their Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive to the East Coast on a coast to coast tour. Norfolk Southern is giving them track access on revenue lines for this.

I saw a shirt video yesterday I think NS has six different America 250 paint schemes leaving the paint shops. UP has several as well.

Don't forget, UP parked G. Bush's locomotive on campus for a few months with a custom spur line in the mid 2000s, restored it for his funeral (again all free use of revenue service main lines), then donated it to the library.

I don't think it's a derail at all. In many respects, the RR of the 19th century were in fact akin/analogs to today's private space exploration companies, complete with 'humanitarian' (philanthropic) aligned billionaire immigrant owners of their day seeking vast profit in a new commercial trade that required massive capital expenditure and technological investment, and sister businesses (steel/AI etc.) which had many parallels in requirements for transportation.

The similarities to me are incredible. What's a real shame is what has become of the Carnegie Foundation/Endowment for International peace, but I will decline to expand further as that probably really would be a derail.

Here is @SpaceX's full IPO roadshow presentation from CFO Bret Johnson, who has been CFO at the company for the last 15 years.

It's worth watching. pic.twitter.com/FtkW0bXOA4

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) June 4, 2026

Go look at the assignment in 2026-355101. Water rights operate a lot like mineral rights and are not tied directly to surface/fee estate.