Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

Turks and Caicos, January 19, 2025 – Clear, unobstructed views of the skies over the Turks and Caicos islands were an ideal canvas for a spectacular, albeit frightening show that materialised as a SpaceX starship engine disintegrated in real time, in mid-air on Thursday evening.

Even the moment of the explosion was caught on cell phone video by a guest staying at Norman’s Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands; NBC news has shared that the video was credited to Marshall Sisson in an Instagram post.

For at least a 30-minutes, flights were suspended from Miami to the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos with some flights stuck in holding patterns or diverted in order to dodge disaster and to allow the airspace debris to clear.

Now, the United States has decided to ground the giant starship rocket of SpaceX, according to a BBC report.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is now working with SpaceX and has opened an investigation.

“UK partners will also be liaising with the TCI Environmental Health Department, Maritime Department and Department of Environment and Coastal Resources to consider any potential environmental issues that may occur on land or in the marine environment, but during initial discussions between the UK Space Agency and SpaceX, it has been confirmed that no Hydrazine was on board the Starship rocket,” said the Turks and Caicos Islands government on Saturday.

It was thrilling, crazy, scary and shocking.  That is likely the reason, millions of people have viewed the scores of videos from varying vantage points which have been posted to social media by those rattled from their regular routine to witness the explosion.

“I heard a loud noise up here in Long Bay, but I’m afraid to look out,” said  one resident of eastern Providenciales.

Another asked, “What was that?  It shook my house. Crazy.”

We are now learning that the debris, which fell on some of the islands in the Turks and Caicos, cannot be ferreted away as a keepsake, because the property belongs to the owner of the rocket.  It is also dangerous.

“Friday, 17 January, TCIG Officials convened a meeting with relevant partners in the United Kingdom including the UK Space Agency, who are supporting the post-incident response, including technical expertise on the handling of debris, health and safety risks, protocols and procedures. The UK Air Accident Investigation Branch have been notified and discussions are ongoing with the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) who will liaise with SpaceX.

This is now an active investigation led by the US FAA in liaison with UK and TCI counterparts,” informed a Turks and Caicos Government advisory.

For just about everyone reporting on what they heard, felt and saw it started with a loud boom that shaked buildings and rattled emotions as residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands witnessed the explosion and splintering of a part of a SpaceX Starship over the islands.

A day later, there were expressions of relief.

“We are not at this time aware of any specific risks related to the re-entry of space debris on Thursday 16 January. However, space objects can sometimes contain hazardous materials which can cause serious harm to health. Members of the public who come across objects that they think might be space debris should take the following actions:

• Do not touch the object
• Make a note of the location (Island and exact coordinates) of the object and the time  (including any maritime observations of debris)
• If possible take a photograph of the object (without touching it) alongside another object for scale
• Notify the authorities by sending the details to nationalsecurity@gov.tc with the subject title Space X Debris.
• Space debris remains the property of the spacecraft owner”

It was not an earthquake or the apocalypse (as many reported feeling at the time) but an explosion of part of an unmanned spacecraft, the largest in the fleet of SpaceX founder, Elon Musk.  Musk is running a series of tests on the rockets for a program set to revolutionise the scope of travel, by taking passengers literally out of this world and into outer space.

The test flight was set for a duration of 66 minutes.  SpaceX, which launched from South Texas at 5:38pm experienced trouble after about 8 minutes in orbit.

From Forbes.com:  “Shortly after the catch there was an issue, though: A SpaceX commentator on the livestream said, “we do believe that we have lost the ship during its ascent phase… during that ascent phase a couple of the engines dropped out and then shortly thereafter we lost communication.”

Parts of the rocket were picked up in Providenciales, South Caicos and Grand Turk, according to residents who posted photos of the bits they had gathered.

“Elon Musk’s company has been told to carry out a mishap investigation by the FAA.  It needs the results of that probe before a determination comes on whether the progressive space plan resumes flights, said a BBC news report on Saturday afternoon.

January 17, 2025

As of January 19, 2025, TikTok is set to “go dark” for its 170 million American users unless the U.S. government intervenes. This follows a Supreme Court ruling upholding a law that mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its ownership by this date due to national security concerns.

Implications for Users:

• App Accessibility: TikTok will likely be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, preventing new downloads. Existing users may continue to use the app, but without updates, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and degraded performance over time.
• Content Creators and Businesses: Many creators and small businesses rely on TikTok for income and audience engagement. The ban introduces uncertainty, prompting some to migrate to alternative platforms like RedNote.

Political Developments:

President-elect Donald Trump, set to be inaugurated on January 20, has indicated opposition to the ban, despite initially supporting it. He has stated, “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation.” This suggests potential policy shifts that could influence TikTok’s future in the U.S.

Next Steps:

The situation remains fluid, with TikTok urging the U.S. government for clarity to prevent service disruptions. The incoming administration’s decisions will be pivotal in determining whether TikTok continues operations or faces an extended ban in the United States.

Sources:  Forbes, BBC, AP News, NY Post and Investopedia.  

Deandrea Hamilton

Editor 

USA, January 8, 2025 – On Monday, 300k people were without electricity due to winter storm Blair, six had been reported killed in the storm which impacted 63 million people in the Central and Eastern United States – that was on Monday.

Two days later… 300k are without power due to a starkly different storm; a raging inferno barreling through Southern California which has forced at least 19 school districts and other iconic and public sites to close.

Air quality is greatly reduced and many are opting for masks as they remain indoors.

The wildfires have been fanned by ferocious Santa Ana winds and two are said to have been killed, thousands more injured.

Hundreds of homes and businesses are under threat; 1,100 structures are burned, thousands of people are evacuating, mandatory evacs are also being enforced, shelters are opened, telecommunications is compromised making reaching loved ones and help near impossible and 1,400 firefighters are battling the blaze, mainly from the ground.

The winds are simply too dangerous A state of emergency has been declared for California with sections of the Pacific Coast Highway closed. The cause of the fire is unknown but it is under active investigation.

“The combination of low humidity, dry fuels and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion,” Cal Fire said in an update.

Two people were this morning were arrested for, of all things, looting.

Meanwhile, residents from Texas to the Carolinas brace for winter storm Cora; expected to bring 3-6 inches of snow on many states.

Sources: Ongoing press conference, Weather Channel, USA Today and CBS News.