A U.S military drone, known as an MQ-9 “Reaper” surveillance drone, has crashed into the Black Sea after being hit by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet on Tuesday. The incident has been condemned as “reckless” by the U.S. military.

The MQ-9 “Reaper” is an unmanned aerial vehicle that can fly for up to 27 hours at over 50,000 feet while gathering intelligence using sophisticated cameras, sensors and radars. It has a wingspan of 66 feet and weighs around 4,900 pounds when fully loaded with fuel and equipment.

The drone is owned by the U.S. Air Force but has also been purchased by other organizations including NASA, the UK Royal Air Force and several others. According to General Atomics, the manufacturer of the MQ-9 drone, it costs about $3,500 per flight hour compared to approximately $8,000 per flight hour to operate an F-16.

Can an MQ-9 defend itself?

General Atomics claims that the MQ-9 drone can defend itself from threats using its “Self Protect Pod”, which is capable of detecting surface-to-air weapons and deploying countermeasures against them.

What are the advantages of drones?

Drones are generally less costly to operate than manned aircraft with similar capabilities since they do not require a pilot in command. Drones like the MQ-9 can loiter in one location for hours while collecting large amounts of data using its advanced technology.

The cost for four MQ-9 drones with sensors and satellite link is around $56.5 million according to information released by the Air Force.

This recent collision highlights ongoing concerns regarding airspace safety amid increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones over different parts of the world.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has announced that the company is preparing to launch its Starship into orbit from its facility in Boca Chica, Texas. This announcement comes after SpaceX successfully completed its latest test flight of the Starship prototype earlier this month.

According to Musk, SpaceX is now waiting for a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before proceeding with the launch. The FAA is responsible for regulating commercial space transportation in the United States and issues licenses for all rocket launches.

The Starship is designed to carry up to 100 people and cargo to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. SpaceX plans to use it for both manned and unmanned missions. The company has been developing the spacecraft for several years and has conducted multiple test flights to refine its design.

The latest test flight, which took place on March 30th, saw the Starship prototype reach an altitude of 6.2 miles before returning safely to Earth. This was the first successful landing of a Starship prototype after four previous attempts ended in explosions.

If SpaceX receives approval from the FAA, the upcoming launch will be a major milestone for the company and for the commercial space industry as a whole. It will demonstrate that reusable rockets like the Starship can be used for more than just delivering payloads into low Earth orbit.

In conclusion, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is getting closer to launching its Starship into orbit from its facility in Texas. With its ability to carry up to 100 people and cargo to destinations such as the Moon and Mars, this spacecraft could be a game-changer for space exploration. Keep an eye out for updates on when this historic launch will take place.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) attempted to launch the country’s first new rocket series in over two decades on Tuesday, but the ignition failed for the rocket’s second stage and the $1.47 billion payload was destroyed just minutes after its launch.

The H3 rocket blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center and separated as designed, but a command was sent to destroy it about 14 minutes after liftoff. JAXA officials have apologized for the failure, which comes three weeks after an aborted launch due to a different glitch.

The rocket was carrying an Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS), which collects data for disaster response and mapmaking, as well as an experimental infrared sensor developed by the Defense Ministry that can monitor military activity, including missile launches. Unfortunately, there is currently no plan for an alternative satellite launch to replace the earlier generation of the ALOS.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said in a news conference that their top priority is to do everything they can to find the cause and regain trust in their rockets. He added that they need to figure out what they should do to successfully achieve the next launch.