Starship: 50/50 chance of reaching orbit first time

[Blueprint]( It’s nearly time for lift-off, Elon. SpaceX is nearing the [first orbital launch attempt]( of its Starship prototype. It’s all part of the private space firm's plans to send humans to Mars. The idea is to drastically cut launch costs with a fully reusable megarocket. SpaceX successfully completed a full flight-like wet dress rehearsal of Starship in late January, leading Musk to state that the private space firm would likely make an orbital launch attempt this month. But before you take a look at that countdown, take a look at a countdown of a very different kind. [This video]( asks whether global warming will trigger a zombie apocalypse (as well as melting the ice caps and heating us all up). Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. [How the metaverse is about to change your world.]( [premium] Has Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg splurged his riches chasing a pipe dream? Is the concept of a digital universe where everybody logs in to connect, work, and play simply not catching any traction anymore? VIDEO OF THE DAY [zombie apocalypse]( [Can global warming trigger a zombie apocalypse?]( As if global warming wasn’t scary enough already… MUST READ [Elon Musk: Starship has a 50/50 chance of reaching orbit on first try]( SpaceX is nearing the first orbital launch attempt of its Starship prototype. Starship is part of the private space firm's plans to eventually send humans to Mars by drastically cutting launch costs with a [fully reusable megarocket](. Before reaching the red planet, the rocket, which is poised to become the world's most powerful operational rocket, will also send humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972. SpaceX successfully completed a full flight-like wet dress rehearsal of Starship in late January, leading Musk to state that the private space firm would likely make an orbital launch attempt this month. It's now more than 18 months since a Starship prototype last lifted off as part of a series of high-altitude flight and landing tests beginning in 2021. Those test flights were never intended to go to orbit, though they did lead to a few explosive landing attempts as well as a series of impressive belly-flop maneuvers. → The upcoming orbital test flight will be the first time SpaceX attempts to reach orbit with Starship. It will also be the first time the company launches its Super Heavy booster, which is the first stage that will propel the Starship upper stage to orbit. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Just discovered: An underwater mountain taller than Burj Khalifa]( Saildrone Surveyor SD 1200, the largest uncrewed ocean mapping vessel in the world, has discovered a previously unidentified [seamount greater than Earth's tallest building](. The initiative contributes to filling ocean exploration gaps, especially in remote areas. Given that just five percent of the seas have been explored, it's pursuits like this that could finally reveal all the ocean's mysteries. [Read More]( INNOVATION [AI-powered robots cut out weeds while leaving crops untouched]( In farming, weeds can strangle crops and destroy yields. Unfortunately, spraying herbicides to deal with the intrusive plants pollutes the environment and harms human health, and there simply aren't enough workers to tackle all the weeds by hand. A new startup called FarmWise has come up with a solution: [autonomous weeding robots]( that use artificial intelligence to cut out weeds while leaving crops untouched. [Read More]( HEALTH [Rare surgery: Unborn twin removed from brain of one-year-old in China]( A new study has documented an extraordinary case of an "[intraventricular fetus-in-fetu]( wherein an unborn fetus was removed from the head of its living twin. Doctors from Fudan University, Shanghai, had noticed several indicative problems in the one-year-old girl, such as an enlarged head and problems with her motor skills. IFLScience reported that CT scans of the girl's head revealed that her brain was compressed. Additionally, a build-up of fluid caused by a significant growth was found within the ventricles. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Elon Musk: Starship has a 50/50 chance of reaching orbit on first try. Do you think Starship is the beginning of commercial space travel to Mars? [Yes, but it’s a way off]( [No, it’s a pipe dream]( [I’m not going, even if it is]( [I am unsure either way]( QUOTE OF THE DAY The first human beings to land on Mars should not come back to Earth. They should be the beginning of a build-up of a colony/settlement, I call it a “permanence.” Buzz Aldrin. 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