Light Start – Cheaper space, Tesla Model 3, chainsaw drone, and Overwatch

Blue Origin is showing how cheap space travel can be with its third reusable launch

Blue Origin has shown that it can crack vertical rocket landings, and the New Shepard rocket was lifted into space a second time, after a spot of cleaning, once it made its first landing. And then Blue Origin landed it again. Over the weekend the space  company sent their rocket into space for the third time before bringing it back to Earth for their hat trick. This is a very, very good thing. Why? Because building and sending a rocket into space is massively expensive. If we can make three flights with a single rocket, we’re saving several millions of dollars (since these are American companies). And money saved means cheaper space-flight and cheaper space-flight means they might one day let us slip the surly bonds of Earth.

Source: via Ars Technica

Speaking of spaceships, Tesla’s Model 3 will feel like one

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is after a different part of space but Musk’s Tesla… might have been taking notes. The new, recently-announced and cheaper (R520,000 is cheap for a Tesla) Tesla Model 3 will apparently handle like a spaceship, according Elon Musk. Who very rarely kids around on Twitter, which is where he revealed this info. It seems that the steering wheel already seen in the Model 3 isn’t going to be in at least one version of Tesla’s vehicle. Could we be looking at an autonomous vehicle or is Tesla going to be offering drivers a radical rethink of vehicle cockpit controls? We can’t wait to see, either way.

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)

There’s at least one reason to avoid Finland – the chainsaw drones

Admit it, you’d totally do this if you could get away with it. You know, without killing anyone or catching a chainsaw blade to the throat because your drone caught the wrong bit of wind. Okay, perhaps not. Who is going to be crazy enough to a) mount a chainsaw on a drone and b) stand close enough to said spinning chainsaw to possibly slice their own heads off? These people, that’s who. And don’t worry too much, even though there were a couple of ‘chase incidents’, only snowmen were harmed during the making of this bonkers drone video.

Source: NoodleTail

Get your head into the Overwatch game with a closer look at Widowmaker and Tracer

Team Fortress 2 did it, albeit with a lot more humour, and now Blizzard’s Overwatch is introducing their characters to the world with a series of animated shorts. Not for them the sandvitch brick joke, though. No, Blizzard, in the above reveal of femme fatale Widowmaker and her conflict with Overwatch mascot Tracer, are taking a much more serious tactic with their upcoming shooter. Even though Overwatch is set to be a multi-class, multiplayer shooter it’s going to have the deep backstory that all of Blizzard’s games are known for. This is Widowmaker’s backstory. Or the part of it where she feels alive, at least. If you’re playing as the lethal sniper/assault fighter come launch day, you’ll likely find out a little more about her. And when you’re done with this one, hit up the first short, Recall.

Source: Blizzard (YouTube)