SpaceX Falcon rocket explodes on landing after delivering satellite to space (opens in new tab)

I would not say it exploded on landing, it landed just fine. When you break apart a device full of things that like to go boom and provide a spark your bound to have an explosion.

Got to love the audacity of landing on a barge in the ocean instead of land. So why is he doing this? Is it possible he wants to be as neutral going forward? Will he start building rockets on a seaborne platform as well? Go full Bond super-villain on us. Seriously though, why not buy an island.

The headline and article make it sound like this was some huge failure, while in reality the mission was a success and the landing a test which almost worked out.

Larger size video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqirNbwEc0/

There's something really special about the fact that Musk himself posts these videos of SpaceX's "failures", and has generally been very candid about his setbacks with this companies. So often narratives of great achievements are told/shown in such a way as though it were destiny, like those involved were geniuses who knew the right path all along. That's not how real work -- of any kind, looks like. What a tremendous lesson for young people everywhere to see Musk share his work -- the successes and failures -- with the world.

I loved Gene Kranz's "Failure is not an option," but outside of the specific context in which it was used, it is a terrible slogan. Failure, actually, ought to be the only option, in the sense that if you are never failing you likely are falling short of whatever it is that you could potentially accomplish.

Nowadays there is this idea of instilling in kids a "growth" mindset, in the sense that you ought not praise them for "intelligence" or how smart they are, since these things are immutable. Rather, praising them for their effort and perseverance, which can be nurtured, likely helps instill in them these very values, which often are far better predictors of success than intelligence itself.

I hope at some point we collectively start thinking about great founders, or companies, or amazing things society builds in the same way. Instead of story after story praising Musk for being the "real iron-man," maybe we should publicize the electric car movie where you see him walk into a garage in the middle of the night filled with cars with production issues, with a clear look of despair on his face. SpaceX is now the leader of private space aviation, but at one point Musk had to bank the company on a single launch because, well... all other ones had failed.

He is undoubtedly the innovator of our generation. But it's not because he is smart (which he undoubtedly is), or a visionary (again, ditto), but in addition to these things, he is working very, very, very hard. And has failed -- a lot. And picked himself up every time.

This is incredibly inspiring stuff, and makes you root for the guy (and companies) even more.