<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> spike@rainier66.com <spike@rainier66.com> <br><b>…</b><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> extropy-chat <<a href="mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Darin Sunley via extropy-chat<br><b>…</b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>>>>>…The lesson of SpaceX, more than anything else, is that real-time high-powered computers can make systems controls do almost anything. Darin<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>>>>…Darin, I am hetero to the core, but oooh, that is some sexy talk there, me lad… spike <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>>…My bride and I have been watching that booster catch. We both got so turned on, we needed to pause the video. spike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>>…For those who get stoked by this sorta thing, there is some EXCELLENT control system porn on the interwebs today. …spike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I was talking to a former colleague and longtime friend yesterday about that SpaceX booster catch. He too has been completely absorbed watching that and the related control system porn, a genre of time-waster spawned by that sexy act of catching a tail-first descending booster.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>He made an interesting observation, or prediction: within a decade, NASA and other countries which build rocket boosters will all build something that looks like what Elon just demonstrated is possible. Rocket scientists everywhere will use that as proof that it can be done, but argue that they cannot rely on SpaceX, because there is a threat the US government will shut down Elon Musk for taking sides against them politically. Result: every country will develop a system that looks similar to Elon’s Starship.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>