St. Perduin

[NASA Marshall @NASA_Marshall]

A giant leap to Mars! 🚀

NASA recently completed testing of a lithium-fed electromagnetic thruster, reaching 5x more power than today's electric propulsion systems. Paired with a nuclear power source, this tech could slash travel time to Mars!

MORE: https://t.co/1P7FnGfkf5…

[Muskonomy @muskonomy]

NEWS: SpaceX has told the US government it wants to launch and catch Starship on platforms out at sea.

The plan is spelled out in an official letter SpaceX sent to a federal ocean agency on August 7.

The government had asked for input on using federal waters far off the coast for space launch and landing sites. That could mean old oil rigs made new again or platforms built from scratch.

SpaceX says yes, it backs the idea. It wants offshore platforms to both launch Starship and catch it on the way back down.

It also had a message for regulators. SpaceX says the legal power to allow this already exists, so no new rules are needed. It asked the agency to leave launch licensing with the FAA and not pile on more red tape.

Moving Starship launches out to sea would let SpaceX fly far more often without disturbing people on land.

Source: SpaceX comment letter to BOEM, August 2026

[Muskonomy @muskonomy]

NEWS: SpaceX may be building toward faster Starship launches, based on a new structure spotted at Starbase.

After every launch, crews install scaffolding at the pad to service the clamps that hold the rocket down.

Now a new structure has arrived by barge, spotted by Starbase photographer RGV Aerial Photography.

SpaceX watcher ChromeKiwi thinks it is a permanent service platform for those clamps, which would speed up the work between launches.

His read is that it is only for servicing the mount, not for stacking the rocket, since it hangs inside the launch mount.

One note: this is an educated guess from a fan, not something SpaceX has confirmed.

Source: ChromeKiwi on X, August 2026
Photo from: @RGVaerialphotos

[S.E. Robinson, Jr. @SERobinsonJr]

SPACEX: On August 7th, SpaceX Sr Government Affairs Manager, Owen McDonough, submitted comments, to Matthew N. Giacona, Acting Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), on Docket No. BOEM-2026-0232 regarding potential use of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for offshore space launch and re-entry.

SpaceX states they still support using the OCS for these activities, including purpose-built and repurposed facilities for launch and catch operations of Starship.

It argues that existing Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) section 8(p) leasing authority already covers this, no new BOEM regulations are needed because FAA licensing under the Commercial Space Launch Act governs the operations, and offshore space activities can coexist with other uses under current federal laws.

More SpaceX news in today's EC below!

[Angus電科技 @wuanguscc]

⚡⚡⚡最新消息：SpaceX 正式提案，在海上平台發射與回收 Starship

SpaceX 於 8 月 7 日向🇺🇸 美國海洋能源管理局（BOEM）提交正式評論信函，回應該機構 7 月 8 日發布的「外大陸架海上太空發射與再入活動」資訊徵求案。

SpaceX 支持在外大陸架（聯邦遠海水域）使用專用新建平台或改造現有的舊油氣平台，執行可重複使用飛行器的發射與捕獲作業，也就是把 Mechazilla 那套「筷子接火箭」的機制搬到海上。

Starship 需要高發射頻率的基礎設施，才能實現更頻繁、更低成本的太空運輸。陸上發射場受限於周邊社區、航道與空域協調，每一次發射都要走一輪排程；移到遠海，這些干擾大幅減少，頻率就能拉上去。

SpaceX 主張《外大陸架土地法》第 8(p) 條的既有授權已經足夠，不需要制定新規則，並呼籲維持由 FAA 統一負責發射與再入許可，避免額外監管。

[Cosmos Europa @CosmosEuropa]

🚨 NEWS: SpaceX wants to launch AND catch Starship from offshore platforms.

In an official comment letter to BOEM dated August 7, SpaceX backed the use of federal waters for space launch and recovery operations.

The concept could involve repurposed oil platforms or purpose-built offshore structures capable of launching Starship and catching it during recovery.

SpaceX also argued that existing federal authority is sufficient and asked regulators to keep launch licensing with the FAA rather than creating another layer of regulation.

The bigger advantage is obvious:

Move Starship operations offshore → fewer impacts on populated areas → potentially much higher launch cadence.

Starship launch and catch operations could eventually happen far out at sea, turning offshore infrastructure into another piece of SpaceX's reusable rocket system. 🚀🌊

[Muskonomy @muskonomy]

NEWS: A new SpaceX filing shows Starship Flight 14 is coming and the booster will return to the launch site.

The details come from a public application SpaceX filed with the FCC, the US agency that manages radio frequencies.

In it, SpaceX asks to use extra frequencies to talk to the rocket during Test Flight 14, which launches from Starbase, Texas.

The filing states it plainly: "The 1st stage booster will return to the launch site."

That is the giant Super Heavy booster flying back home to be caught by the tower.

It fits what Elon Musk said on the recent earnings call. He said Flight 14 would also try to catch the Starship upper stage with the tower. He said it is tentatively set for the end of this month.

Source: SpaceX FCC filing, August 2026

[Sharath Ⓥ @Sharzard5]

What you call the Navy places us in high-pressure chambers to test the effect of deep dives. To us, this is torture, as much as electrodes on the genitals were to the prisoners of Abu Ghraib. We do not belong here.

We are #OneBillionScreams
We are @PoliAnimalClass

[❁ 𝓜𝓪𝓲𝓼𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓸 𝓡𝓾𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓸 🌹🪻 @RuivaMaisa_]

Esse vídeo tem final feliz

[໊ @chrollosoll]

Images circulating on social media show moments of intense tension during a registered protest in Malaysia. Video shows a group of protesters clash with police shock troops, who formed a containment barrier using shields to prevent the crowd from advancing.

In the images, objects being thrown towards security officers can be seen, while police teams remain positioned to maintain the line of defense. The site shows signs of a riot, with stones, pieces of wood and other materials scattered across the ground.

While the specific motive of the protest has not been officially confirmed in the analyzed video, the scenes showcase the complexity faced by security forces during large-scale demonstrations. In situations like this, police officers are tasked with preserving public order and ensuring the safety of both participants and other people present.

Experts emphasize that the right to demonstration is one of the foundations of democratic societies and must be respected. However, when peaceful acts escalate to clashes and violence, the focus of the claims is damaged, endangering protesters, security agents and citizens passing through the region.

An often forgotten aspect is that, on both
sides, there are people who have families waiting for you to return home. Police and protesters share search responsibility

[What about it!? @FelixSchlang]

🚨NEW Flyover! Starbase, Production Site:

One word: GIGA!🤘

➡️https://t.co/KyrKz1rjgq
📸@Jordanguidry6
🚁https://t.co/iIT5JNR9Ch

[Imtiaz Mahmood @ImtiazMadmood]

1903 - THE MATCH GIRLS WITH ROTTING JAWS, LONDON

This photo was taken in 1903 inside the Bryant & May match factory in Bow, East London.

Look at the young women's faces. Their jaws are swollen, rotting, glowing in the dark. They are teenagers — 14, 15, 16 years old. This disease was called "Phossy Jaw."

Their job was dipping matches into white phosphorus. White phosphorus is poison. Every day they breathed it. First their teeth fell out. Then their gums turned green and black. Then their entire jawbone rotted and had to be cut out by a doctor with no painkiller. Some died screaming.

The factory owners knew. They knew since 1880 that white phosphorus kills. But it was cheap. Safer red phosphorus cost 3 times more. So they kept using white.

These girls worked 14 hours, 6 days a week, for 4 shillings. If they talked, they were fined. If they dropped a match, they were beaten. Their faces glowed at night from the phosphorus — they called them "ghosts" on the streets of London.

In 1888, 1,400 of them went on strike. All teenagers. Led by a 16-year-old girl named Sarah Chapman. They marched to Parliament with their swollen faces and said: "We would rather starve than rot."

London was shocked. And finally, in 1908, Britain banned white phosphorus — because of these girls.
This was not medieval times. This was 1903 in London, the richest empire on earth.

They were just teenage girls working in a factory… but their courage forced an entire nation to change.

[International Mining @im_mining]

#ZijinMining owned Zijin #Longking has rolled out its ZL230E #batteryelectric #miningtruck - with a 230 t payload it is the largest all battery truck in China. Its subsidiary Longking Lianhui has also signed a partnership with OEM agnostic #autonomoushaulage tech leader @EaconMining https://t.co/vkXpltzEmC

[dominic dyer @domdyer70]

Laughing as they cause such unnecessary pain & suffering to a shark

[窒息的国家 @lm36822]

中国的无人驾驶技术遥遥领先，就问你特斯拉这么大坑你敢下吗？中国的无人驾照就敢下。国内朋友见到这种车离远点，真敢怼你身上去的。

[Tendencias de Animales @EsTTAnimalesEnX]

Esta noche, miles de perros en refugios se quedarán dormidos preguntándose por qué no les tocó el turno. Tal vez uno de ellos te ha estado esperando a ti todo este tiempo. Por favor comparte. La familia que lo está esperando tal vez no sepa que existe.

[St. Perduin @Maximuvinall]

The Neutron tank's interesting wavy connection
#rocketlab
#neutronrocket
#space

[Niall Harbison @NiallHarbison]

My day started with this image popping up on my phone.

Could we help save the dog?

I dropped everything and the team swung into action. I’ve never seen anything like it (1/7) 🧵

[NYRage @NYRage4]

@NiallHarbison Everyone please report @_niallprivate__ .It’s a fake page trying to steal donations from happy doggo. Multiple people already reported and it’s still up.

[DoñaPily @dona_pily2]

Si usted decide salir de su casa después de un temblor, manténgase lejos de balcones y ventanas.

Dios mío 🙏🏼🙏🏼