‘Bar Rescue’ host Jon Taffer discusses his role in recruiting for SpaceX’s civilian crew.
Texas, which already has NASA’s Johnson’s Space Center in Houston and two of the Elon Musk SpaceX facilities, is further expanding its universe with the news that Musk is building a new plant in Austin, Texas.
Musk’s aerospace company unveiled plans in a new job posting for an “Automation and Control Engineer”, which will focus on Starlink, a global high-speed internet service comprised of a constellation of satellites.
“To keep up with global demand, SpaceX is pioneering a new, state-of-the-art factory in Austin, TX,” says the job posting. “The automation and controls engineer will play a key role in our effort to manufacture millions of consumer-oriented devices that we ship directly to customers.”
Products will include Starlink antennas, Wi-Fi routers, mounting tools and more.
Austin’s positions will be “ultimately facing the toughest mechanical, software and electrical challenges that come with high volume manufacturing, while maintaining a focus on flexibility, reliability, maintenance and ease of use.”
The job advertisement, first seen by KXAN, NBC’s affiliate TV station in Austin, requires candidates to agree to travel up to 25% to SpaceX headquarters in the Los Angeles area until the Austin facility is ” fully established “. SpaceX is currently headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
A SpaceX spokesman did not immediately return FOX Business’s request for additional information about the installation or when it will be completed.
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According to a filing by the Federal Communications Commission, Starlink has put more than 1,000 satellites into orbit and has more than 10,000 users in the United States and abroad since its beta “Better Than Nothing” was launched nationally and internationally in October.
Pre-orders for the Starlink service were available in February for $ 99. The company’s website emphasizes that orders are “fully refundable”, but notes that “making a deposit does not guarantee the service”. Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. For some locations on the site, SpaceX says that coverage will not be available until “mid to late 2021”, while other areas will not have service available until 2022.
The complete Starlink kit costs $ 499 and includes a mountable satellite dish, Wi-Fi router and power supply. The service will be offered first in the US, Canada and the UK
Photo courtesy of Starlink
The construction of a new plant is the latest example of SpaceX taking root in Lone Star State, following a launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, and a rocket development facility in Hawthorne, Texas.
CEO Elon Musk confirmed his move to Texas in December, after growing increasingly frustrated by California’s COVID-19 restrictions. He also changed his private foundation, according to a December document with the Texas Secretary of State.
In addition, other Musk-owned companies have announced or suggested projects in Austin. Musk announced construction plans for a second Tesla plant in Austin in July and the Boring Company hinted in November that a tunnel system could arrive in Austin after announcing several job openings in the area.
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The change comes as the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, pledges to reopen the state “100%” next week.
Abbott issued an executive order on Tuesday that terminates the statewide masking mandate and will allow all state companies to reopen fully from Wednesday, March 10.
“To be clear, COVID did not suddenly disappear,” warned Abbott during a press conference at a restaurant in Lubbock. “COVID still exists in Texas, the United States and around the world, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed.”
Abbott said the decision is supported by the recent declines in active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, as well as the lower rate of positivity the state has seen in months. In addition, he noted that health experts expect 7 million COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed in the state next Wednesday.
“Within a few months,” said Abbott, it is hoped that anyone who wants to receive an injection will be able to do so.
Companies can limit capacity or implement additional security protocols if they choose, and Abbott emphasized that Texans must continue to follow appropriate health guidelines.
The executive order allows a municipal judge to implement COVID-19 mitigation strategies if hospitalizations exceed 15% of the capacity of hospital beds in any region for seven consecutive days. However, no one can be arrested for failing to follow county orders, Abbott said, nor can penalties be imposed for not wearing a face mask.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded quickly to the announcement on Tuesday, calling it “absolutely reckless” in a tweet.
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After Abbott’s announcement, Musk tweeted that he was planning to change the name of the city of Boca Chica to “Starbase”, Texas
“Creating the city of Starbase, Texas,” he said. “From there to Mars and therefore to the Stars.”
Under Texas law, the incorporation process is conducted by Cameron County Commissioners.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino told Bloomberg that a SpaceX representative did a “casual investigation” last week on the requirements for incorporating Boca Chica, but that a formal request was not made and the SpaceX official was not mentioned any potential new names.
“Sending a tweet does not mean that it does,” Trevino told the newspaper. “They have a lot of obstacles and obstacles to overcome before they can do it.”
He added that SpaceX “may be getting a little ahead”.
Trevino did not immediately return FOX Business’s request for comment.
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SpaceX is developing rockets in Boca Chica with the aim of sending people to the moon and Mars.
Japanese billionaire and founder of online retailer Zozo, Yusaku Maezawa, said in a video ad on Tuesday that he will choose eight members of the public to join him on his journey around the moon on the SpaceX Starship rocket in 2023 Your project, called dearMoon, will fly “10 to 12 people in all”, with all expenses covered by Maezawa.
SpaceX is also planning the first ‘all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth’, Inspiration4, which is due to take off as early as the fourth quarter of 2021 from the historic 39A Launch Complex at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Inspiration4 crew will board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon capsule for a multi-day journey, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes. The mission, which will be led by the founder and CEO of Shift4, Jared Isaacman, who will raise funds and raise awareness of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with the expedition.
In addition, SpaceX entered into space tourism partnerships with Space Adventures in 2021 and Axiom Space in 2022.
Fox Business’s Brittany De Lea contributed to this report