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Earth Intelligence

14 Oct 2024 — 5 min read

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SpaceX Starship Rocket Catch
U.S. vs ISIS Activity

SpaceX Starship Rocket Catch:

Yesterday, SpaceX marked a new achievement by catching its Starship booster mid-air for the first time during the fifth test flight of its Super Heavy booster. The launch occurred at 7:25 AM Central Time from SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas, as part of the company’s broader efforts to make space travel more reusable. After reaching a high altitude, the Super Heavy booster reignited its engines and returned to the launch site, where it was captured mid-air by two mechanical arms, mounted on the launch tower.
The booster, designated Booster 12, performed as planned, executing a smooth descent and being caught by the tower’s arms. This technique represents an advancement in rocket recovery, aiming to enhance reusability and reduce the wear and tear experienced during landing. The Starship spacecraft also successfully completed its mission, landing in the Indian Ocean and allowing further testing of its heat shield system. SpaceX has previously landed boosters vertically on drone ships or other platforms, but this is the first instance of catching a booster directly at the launchpad.
This approach is intended to minimize refurbishment time and simplify the turnaround for future launches. This new method of catching rockets could eventually allow SpaceX to streamline launches in a manner similar to airport operations. Just as planes quickly turn around for their next flight, this process would allow rockets to be prepared for new missions more efficiently, supporting frequent satellite launches, space missions, and future crewed exploration efforts, such as NASA’s planned missions to the Moon and Mars.

U.S. vs ISIS Activity:

On October 11th, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a series of airstrikes against multiple ISIS camps in Syria, aimed at disrupting the group’s ability to coordinate and carry out attacks. These airstrikes specifically targeted known ISIS operational hubs as part of the U.S.’s ongoing counterterrorism strategy in the region. U.S. military reports indicate no civilian casualties resulted from these strikes, though further damage assessments are still being conducted. This operation is part of a broader U.S. effort to prevent ISIS from regaining the strength it once held.
The strikes come amid a resurgence of ISIS activity in both Syria and Iraq, where the group has been steadily increasing its attacks throughout 2024. U.S. forces, working closely with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have launched nearly 200 joint missions this year to combat ISIS’s renewed efforts to regroup and rebuild its operational capacity. This resurgence has been driven by ISIS’s attempts to exploit the instability in the region, as well as efforts to free imprisoned fighters and recruit new members.
The fight against ISIS has spanned multiple U.S. administrations, each contributing to the group's decline in different ways. The Obama administration first initiated military action against ISIS in 2014, forming a coalition to conduct airstrikes and support local forces in reclaiming territory. This laid the groundwork for the significant territorial losses ISIS experienced during the Trump administration, which oversaw the fall of key ISIS strongholds, including Raqga in 2017. The Trump administration also conducted the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019, a key moment in weakening the group's leadership.
Under the Biden administration, ISIS began to regain its operational strength, with the group escalating attacks in late 2021 and early 2022, particularly in Iraq and Syria. In response, the administration increased counterterrorism efforts by mid-2022, launching targeted operations that disrupted ISIS’s leadership hierarchy and weakened its ability to plan and execute attacks. These intensified efforts led to the capture or killing of numerous senior ISIS figures throughout 2023 and 2024, including key operatives involved in external attack planning and recruitment. The October 2024 airstrikes are part of this ongoing campaign, aimed at dismantling ISIS’s leadership and infrastructure, preventing the group from regrouping, and curbing its influence both in the Middle East and globally.

Statistic:

Largest companies by market capitalization:

🇺🇸 Apple: $3.459T

🇺🇸 NVIDIA: $3.306T

🇺🇸 Microsoft: $3.094T

🇺🇸 Alphabet (Google): $2.016T

🇺🇸 Amazon: $1.981T

🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco: $1.753T

🇺🇸 Meta Platforms: $1.492T

🇺🇸 Berkshire Hathaway: $992.42B

🇹🇼 TSMC: $989.55B

🇺🇸 Broadcom: $847.61B