SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space company, which is considered the most advanced space organization in the world and just a few years ago mastered the landing of rocket stages in almost 300 landings, which was considered impossible, went one better today. The largest rocket and spacecraft system ever constructed, Super Heavy with Starship, which together have a length of 120 meters, took off on its fifth test flight today. This was the first time that not only the landing of the Super Heavy booster was attempted, but also the “capture” of the rocket stage with the launch tower.
The plan was for the rocket stage to return to the tower, which would then grasp and hold the rocket with its gripper arms. What can we say: as crazy and impossible as it sounded, it succeeded at the first attempt. The video broadcast live by SpaceX shows the moment when the rocket stage approaches at supersonic speed, the braking rockets are launched and the booster is maneuvered to the tower and held vertically. And the unbelievable succeeds.
While much could be said about the technical feat itself, the focus should be on something else, namely the jubilation of the engineers at SpaceX. The aerospace company always manages to show cleverly staged footage of the hundreds of live launches and landings, and also switches to the SpaceX headquarters, where you can follow the reactions of the people behind this technology.
Enthusiasm and Inspiration
The enthusiasm, the joy of success, the jubilation and the feeling of togetherness are tangible and infectious. Who wouldn’t want to be part of the team at this moment and experience the fruits of their hard work together?
We only really see this here at soccer matches or other sporting events. As important as these are, they are – pardon me for saying this – not very sustainable. How have winning soccer matches improved the world and helped humanity? Hardly, even if they have made many people happy.
But engineers, entrepreneurs and people with vision, drive and the necessary support can achieve amazing things. And they inspire, they show that nothing is impossible if you take the right approach, find other supporters and firmly believe in it.
The SpaceX employees were not the only ones celebrating. As the shot from a different perspective of a spectator from a distance shows, hundreds of people around the space center cheer on the rocket stage and cheer uninhibitedly when the “catch” is successful. Note the many children in the audience. They will probably form the next generation of engineers who will create the next technical masterpieces.
How About Us?
When was the last time we celebrated a technical masterpiece from Germany like this? When have we come together to celebrate an engineering achievement without reservation?
I can only think of the Zeppelin, which inspired the whole country and triggered a wave of enthusiasm. Wherever it appeared, people rushed into the streets, climbed onto roofs and waved at the airship. When the first of Zeppelin’s airships was blown away by the wind and damaged, money poured in from all over Germany. This became known as the Zeppelin Donation of the German People and raised so much money that several airships could be built at once. Count Zeppelin saw this as a commission from his fellow countrymen, whose trust he was not allowed to abuse.
To be honest, we lack the kind of technical inspiration in the country that could generate comparable enthusiasm. Because the mood is bad, even if we are doing better than ever before. But we are talking ourselves into decline and that is a self-reinforcing spiral. The media focuses on the negative aspects of new technologies, we moan about everything and find the fly in every ointment.
What Is Lacking?
And if someone tries something, we regulate them to death or spray poison and bile if, like Elon Musk, it’s someone from the USA or China.
I can see from the reactions of my German-speaking contacts on social media how much they are cheering and discussing this latest SpaceX feat. In other words, we are not lacking in enthusiasm. Nor do we lack technical ability.
But it is very much due to the framework conditions, to people from politics, business circles, intellectuals and engineers who can lead the way with visions and inspire people. Instead, unspeakable moral entrepreneurs, critics, warners and vested interests dominate the public discourse that the media likes to spread, dragging Germany into decline. A Marcel Reich-Ranitzki, a Richard David Precht or the people Markus Lanz invites, the German managerial elite that resists progress (hello combustion engines!!), not to mention politicians who stand for regression and nostalgia like Sarah Wagenknecht or Markus Söder, who stand for hate like Herbert Kickl or Börn Höcke, or who only hesitate and procrastinate like Olaf Scholz.
We should change that. Today and immediately. SpaceX shows us that we can be enthusiastic about technological progress. We should urgently put this into practice.