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THE UNMANNED DRAGON capsule launched on today by US firm SpaceX encountered problems en route to the space station when three of its four thrusters failed to fire up, the company said.
“Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override,” the company’s billionaire founder Elon Musk wrote on the micro-blogging website Twitter.
SpaceX spokeswoman Christina Ra said the spacecraft “experienced an issue with a propellant valve” after reaching orbit.
“One thruster pod is running. We are trying to bring up the remaining three. We did go ahead and get the solar arrays deployed. Once we get at least two pods running, we will begin a series of burns to get to station,” she said.
The malfunction occurred shortly after the capsule achieved orbit and separated from the Falcon 9 rocket that launched it earlier in the day from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Before the technical difficulties the unmanned spacecraft had been scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station at 1130 GMT Saturday.
The Dragon vehicle is carrying 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) of supplies on the firm’s second resupply mission to the ISS. The two missions were preceded by a nearly flawless test mission.
The first resupply mission last October was a milestone in US efforts to cut costs by privatizing space exploration. The current mission is the second of 12 planned trips in NASA’s $1.6 billion contract with SpaceX.
“This unique vehicle has become a very integral part of how we operate and use the space station,” NASA’s ISS program manager Mike Suffredini said on Thursday, as he described plans for the 25-day mission.
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said that among the equipment on board are two grapple bars that will be transported in an unpressurized compartment of the spacecraft, a first for SpaceX.
Also on board will be equipment for 160 experiments to be conducted by the space station crew, which currently consists of two Americans, three Russians, and a Canadian.
On the return flight, Dragon — the only spacecraft able to bring cargo back to Earth for now — will be loaded with just over a ton of materials, including results of medical research.
The capsule is scheduled for a splashdown landing off the coast of California on March 25.
NASA has bet on SpaceX and other commercial ventures to take over for its retired fleet of space shuttles, which last flew in July 2011.
Before SpaceX’s successful mission in October, NASA had been relying on Russian spacecraft — but the Soyuz craft does not have room for cargo on the return flight.
SpaceX says it has 50 launches planned — both NASA missions and commercial flights — representing about $4 billion in contracts.
So far, SpaceX has only sent unmanned flights into orbit, but the company aims to send a manned flight within the next three or four years. It is under a separate contract with NASA to refine the capsule so that it can carry a crew.
NASA also has a $1.9 billion resupply contract for the station with Orbital Sciences Corporation, which will launch the first test flight of its Antares rocket from a base in Virginia in the coming weeks.
- © AFP 2013.
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Fix the problem by ensuring there is a proper supply of houses, that’s the only way.
@B9xiRspG: That sounds like logic. We can have none of that when it comes to housing supply
@Tommy Chen: who would build these houses? Where would we build these houses?
@Morgan Freeman: The cooperative. but there no profit for the FG/FG cartel.
@B9xiRspG: Introduce emergency legislation to make rental income tax exempt. Overnight it will:
1. Bring many more properties into the rental market
2. Reduce rents dramatically.
It won’t happen though because such an action is politically toxic due to the disproportionate influence of the left.
Consequently, of the 330,000 landlords in Ireland over one third have said that as soon as financially possible they will sell up and exit the market.
Refer recent DKM SURVEY REPORT on landlords intentions over the nx five years.
@B9xiRspG: Thank FF/FG/LAB.
When will the people of this country wake up
@B9xiRspG:
FFG are the Landlords Party.
Mind you, Labour are not far behind.
@Paul Flood: That isn’t politically toxic that is financial suicide for the country.
@Paul Flood: Or better still. give landlordism the same treatment it got when the british were here.
@Kal Ipers: 330,000 landlords x €3,500 average tax take = 1.15bn.
Hardly bankrupt the country. They’re spending multiples of that messing about with schemes and plans that will create only ghettos.
@Paul Flood: Don’t know where you got those figures but I pay that in tax a month.
@Kal Ipers: he’s talking about the income tax from rental properties.
@thomas walsh: I am talking about the tax income tax I pay. To only pay 3.5k a year the rental income is roughly 9k. How does that work out with rent €1600 a month? I would love to pay no tax on rental income but the government increased tax on landlords since 2008 but apparently don’t need it now!
@Paul Flood: Rental income tax exempt! You are out of your tiny mind!
How are young people in dublin able to survive on such high rent? Majority of salary goes to pay just rent, nothing left to save unless you stay at home.
Is this leos economy for those who get up early for work?
@Ricardo: its keeping up with the Jones’, admitting that giving 60% of your salary on rent is wrong, is an admission of defeat.
@Ricardo: HomeShare. Only €195 per month in exchange for some companionship to the older householder. THE HomeShare
@Lucie Cunningham: my wife and son would just love to share a room in an old person’s home. Thank you for the tip!
@Christopher Duffin: if a reasonable % of single people looked at that option it would reduce the pressure for other groups. Don’t be so quick to dismiss one small solution of the many needed because it does not work in your case.
@Bairéid Rísteard: half my salary goes on rent. My job is in Dublin I have no other option for me and my family.
@Deborah Behan: Half of your personal income or your family’s ? Because it’s a difference
My rent went up a whooping 45% this month. Outside a designated rent zone so the landlord can do as they please. Been there for 5 years and never missed a beat or asked for anything. The increase is nothing but pure unadulterated greed spurred on by both landlord and agent. I have no chance of saving a single penny anymore. Devastated.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: it can still only go up to the market rates in the area. If the rent is less in the area the rent can’t increase more than that
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: the Government is likely to be making off like a bandit on this one making far more in tax than landlord and agent combined.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: The landlord is probably now charging a market rate which is unfortunate for tenant who had the benefit of a low rate for years . the rent controls have scared landlords into going to the market rate and it has been a disaster by this government
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: Ask for the place to be painted, a new fridge, tv, dishwasher, beds, etc etc
You have a right to do that as much as they have a right to put the price up.
@Morgan Freeman: No he doesn’t have the right to request new items just because the rent went up.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: Any chance of some figures? Just expressing an increase in percentage terms doesn’t always tell the full story. For example, if you somehow had a rent of just €500 in a place where average rent is €725, then all that’s happened is the landlord has put your rent up to the going rate for that place, which he/she is entitled to do. On the other hand, if you were paying €1,000 in a place where the average is €1,200 but your rent has now gone up to €1,450, then you’re being fleeced.
I’ll give you an example. My wife and I are ‘accidental landlords’ because we’d bought a house each about 15 years ago, before we met. Both already in negative equity by the time we moved in together, so we chose to rent one out instead of try to sell. We’ve the same tenants in it for the past five years now, and we still charge them just the €600 per month that they moved in at. It’s a 3-bed semi-d in an estate in a Wexford village. Other 3-bed semi-d houses in that estate are now being rented at €750 per month. So, if we put rent up to the going rate, tenants could complain about a sudden ‘massive’ 25% increase, but all we’d actually be doing is charging the same as everybody else.
@Kal Ipers: Well….he has a right to ask. He just doesn’t have a right to automatically get.
They should also report how much tax and charges have increased on landlords since 2008. It might help people see that this is an increase to the government not landlords.
@Kal Ipers:
If buying a second property to rent is uneconomical without taking supply and charging extortionate rents – then don’t do it simple.
Especially if it has severe social consequences and national crisis – there is such a thing a common good.
Landlords who cannot afford to rent should sell, this will increase supply of property on market, reducing overheated bubble prices – based on deliberately restricted supply.
This is government policy, and working with NAMA and landlords to exploit normal people.
This is clearly wrong on every level – speculation and super normal rents / gouging – has no place in a functioning property sector.
Speculate on stock and investment – housing is a necessity.
The cost of living is increasing dramatically, while wages are staying the same, especially low paid jobs. How anyone can afford to live in Dublin, working for minimum wage, is beyond me!
@Pheilum Shannon: they can’t and we’re never really able to it was only ever a supplemental income
@Pheilum Shannon: Where is Leo’s €5 million propaganda brigade to tell you its your fault your wage stays same as Republic of Opportunity allows people to earn pots of gold daily…
@Pheilum Shannon: You cannot live in Dublin while renting a good 30 sqm studio with 2k net wages, let alone 1,2 k
This is FG policy – keep supply low – blame developers for not building – sit on their hands & watch demand increase rental incomes far above reasonable levels to help further enrich themselves & their friends. FF are no better.
@Setrakian: social cleansing in other words.
I wonder would the gov BUILDING SOCIALISED HOUSING WORK or will they keep their blind faith in ‘De Free Market’… I mean it only worked for 90% of this history of the state, when we were one of the poorest most underdeveloped countries in Europe, or keep blind faith in private sector to do something it has demonstrably failed the majority (but Not the 1%) but keep their landlord friends and party members happy… I wonder what a FG/FF backed Gov will do…
@Tony O’Regan: did it work before? The areas with the worst social issues and highest prison rates are social housing areas.
@Kal Ipers: It more than worked before Kal.
@Dave Doyle: except, it didn’t
@Dave Doyle: you consider creating socially deprived areas riddled with criminality a success?
@Tony O’Regan: integrating social housing is probably the best solution. The trick is to see why it did not work properly from 97-08. Fix the loop holes and get on with it. Put in place temporary measures to get us through the current problems. These could be modular builds, through to relaxing laws on rental standards. While tightening up on dodgy agents and landlords. Also helping out good landlords with reasonable tax rates, and better protection against dodgy tenants.
This is not an accident.. don’t vote for parties in the next election that support this!
@munsterman: You know yourself, they’ll say they no before the election, get into power and then say yes. Enda and the property tax comes to mind.
@munsterman: Who the hell are we supposed to vote for?
Young people need to get the he’ll out of Ireland as fast as they can.
Ireland is no country for the yoyng.
@mursim: AGREED TOTAL KIP, my niece and nephews got out of this kip as soon as they got their college degree’s
Build Social Housing. There’s no other answer.
@Dave Doyle: how about affordable housing rather than social housing? There’s another answer for you
@Dave Doyle: f* the social housing. Why should my taxes pay for a free house for someone who couldn’t be bothered of finding a job or some failed single mum with 4 brats each from a different man?
Get a job, get a mortgage, buy a place to live. If you cant afford it – tough shit – move where it’s cheaper.
@Termaz Fx: Your taxes are already paying for their Housing Assistance Payment, or their 4 star hotel room anyway. Do you dislike the idea of the State removing subsidies to the Private Sector?
@Ciaran Whyte: Social housing keeps the cost of private down. There’s another answer for you.
@Termaz Fx: Are you sure your real name isn’t Fred.
Typical of his fascist comments.
@Ciaran Whyte: agree.
Root cause is not supply. It is high “Cost Of Build” in Ireland.
VAT alone is €28,000 added to 3 bed semi. No VAT on houses in most other civilised countries , incl UK!
37% of cost of house is artificially inflated due to Gov taxes and levies.
1973 Kenny Report buried …. by Fianna Fail and FG .. and Labour.
Need to bring brains to the Polling booths else Irish be prepared for continuing abuse.
https://www.change.org/p/referendum-on-family-home-special-status-in-ireland
@Termaz Fx: does that include the non eu free loaders that are comfortably housed by the ei tax payer?
If this doesn’t show down soon, the Simon community will also be representing people on less than 100k a year.
Wait…. wait….. wait…..
POP!
@Me_a_monkey: A lot of people hope there is a bubble. The reality is this is a supply driven price increase not a credit based increase. The market has forever changed with many people no longer ever going to be able to afford to buy a house now. The correction is the reduction of homeownership in Ireland from the world’s highest rate.
@Kal Ipers:
Some people learned nothing from 2008 – when those exact arguments were also made.
“solid fundamentals”
“not a bubble”
“soft landing”
Just vested interests exploiting necessities people need to live – and speculating and inflating prices at crazy bubble levels….
@HelloGoogleTracking: You are right some people learned nothing. For example what a bubble is and the difference of supply restriction. The argument about a bubble now requires a lot of ignorance and you won’t find an economist calling it a bubble now. There were loads saying it in 2006 onwards.
@Kal Ipers: you won’t be saying that when all the developers that are currently hoarding completed developments until the market peaks release them. I know of about 5 large estates in south dublin that are completed, chained up with no advertising.
It’s not a lack of supply, it’s developer profiteering.
@Me_a_monkey: You clearly have all the inside information. ‘Cause it’d be foolish to just judge things from outside, right ?
Create jobs outside Dublin so not everyone in the country needs to live / rent in Dublin. Dublin can only house so many…
the increase in supply theory is a fallacy – if a builder buys land to build more houses why would prices fall if they have paid the same amount to buy the land and build the houses?
Govt must free up land through enforced purchases of small lots held by people as they did in the U.K. (In 70′s as far as I remember)
Rent controls never work and all they do is create a black market.
@Gollim: they do not have the power to seize land off people for housing and can’t be given it
@Gollim: I think you’ll find residents of New York and other American cities would disagree with you on the point that rent controls don’t work.
They can and do work, but they neee to be followed and enforced
@Ciaran Whyte: rent controls in New York have been a disaster. It dries up investment to rental property and it is cheaper for them not to charge rent at all and let the properties fall apart. I visited a friend in New York and they had a waterfall in the living room that froze during the winter. The neighbour up stairs lived in a tent in the apartment due to the leaks in the roof.
@Kal Ipers:
Confirmation bias – complete your research and include examples where it works very well – as these also exit – whether or not your chose to ignore them.
We have the usual conspiracy theorists here thinking this is some pact between evil landlords and a FG government but as a landlord no government has ever done me any favours. I am a believer in Hanlons Razor – “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
The Govie built loads of social housing in the 50′s but Local Councils had n’t the wherewithal to manage them properly. First rule of landlording is to get the rent. Councils in Ireland are owed something like 65 million in rent which they have no will to collect. Imagine what this money alone would do for the housing crisis. Don’t pay your rent , out you go. Obviously compassion can be shown for extenuating circumstances .
Then the Govie of the day decided to reduce stock by selling Council houses at a discount and not building new ones.
Next step is to involve the private sector by paying RAS to private landlords. At the height of the boom people were encourage to take out 100% interest only loans with the promise of capital appreciation. RAS tenants could outbid working tenants for properties causing rents to increase overall. Tax on rental income was 40%.
Then the recession comes. What does the Govie do. They screw landlords over. They increase tax to 52% while at the same time reducing what they pay on RAS. Landlords are stuck with tenants who are now paying less while their expenses increase. Then the anti-landlord RTB is introduced which landlords pay for. As small time landlords get out of the business Vulture funds get property at a knock down price and can structure their affairs to pay no tax. Suddenly there is less properties available for rent so inevitably prices go up. The Govie wants to play the popularity card so they blame greedy landlords. They bring in rent controls which means sitting tenants are going nowhere but investors are unwilling to take the risk of renting. They allow Threshold and left wing Politicians to encourage over holding . Councils turn down housing from NAMA because they don’t want to create “ghettoes” but it ok for homeless people to sleep in hotels. TD’s like Aodhan O Riordain organise protests against the building of 480 apartments beside St Anne’s park , not in St Annes Park as the campaign disingenuously claims. Then the Govie introduces the unworkable HAP scheme which is deliberately designed to screw over the landlord. The expect over the top onerous housing standards that council house would n’t meet. Don’t have an energy saving bulb and the house fails and payments stop.If the tenant stops paying their share of the HAP the council stops paying the landlord.
The housing crisis is caused by total incompetence . There is no grand conspiracy between the Government and landlords to increase rents. They are just not that smart.
@Pierre Lecake: The best summary I ever read of the housing crisis.
Denmatk, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Belgium are the places young people need to start moving to in far greater numbers.
These are the countries that will benefit from Brexit – Ireland won’t because of the housing catastrophe.
@mursim: swedish housing market is even worse…try getting an apartment in Stockholm
@mursim: Sweden? Finding an apartment in Stockholm is pretty impossible…way worse than Dublin
@mursim: My mate moved to a job in Amsterdam recently and is losing his mind trying to find somewhere to live. The rents are at least as bad as Dublin.
@mursim: France and scandinavian rents are impossibly high, com’on
Seriously…I honestly cannot believe that the Irish People vote these people into office again & again… HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO BUILD HOUSES!!??? The government has the money, has the land, has the demand…there is a huge potential here for the state to actually make profit by building and selling/renting houses at a reasonable price. All they would need is to borrow now to fund major state backed housing initiatives while ECB rates are still incredibly low…
@Frank Lee: In fairness the Irish are not the smartest as a collective group. That’s why they keep getting in.
Just start building houses again?
Every time a report like this issues the Government rush through some additional knee-jerk measure against landlords be it taxes or regulations or the rent cap. These measures act to reduce supply and worsen the problem they aim to address. They need to stop doing the same thing and expecting different results. Unfortunately any policy that might actually help (e.g. tax incentives for landlords) is considered too politically toxic to introduce so the cycle continues.
Mass uncontrolled immigration not helping or the fact that the Eu has Ireland in a straight jacket ? is Ireland allowed to make that decision to make social housing ?
@Neill Copeland: The vast majority of immigrants to Ireland work and contribute to society. The ones costing us money and housed next to free in prime locations are Irish people. I am more bothered by the Irish parents who are both getting housing with extra rooms to have their children part time.
@Kal Ipers: So your saying the 1000s that are expected to arrive over the next year there is houses there for them ? Your saying Immigration is not pushing up rental prices ?
@Neill Copeland: Yes I am. Migrants are living in much more density than people the state is paying to have part time use of the space. A house close to me was rented to a single mother with 2 kids paid by the state. When she left 4 adults and 2 children started living there.
The state will do this for 18 years versus working immigrants.
@Kal Ipers: And what about the Eu nationals claiming benefits ? what percentage is claiming benefits ? 1/5 ???? you never answered my question if there is 1000s of immigrants arriving over the next year and we have a house shortage as it is where are they going ???
@Kal Ipers: rubbish more stupid pc crap
Thank god the governments rent pressure zones and rent caps are working, need I say more
Simply market forces. The vast majority of this higher rent makes its way to Government in the form of higher taxes and levies.This money should be recycled to encourage people to provide more rental accommodation. Thus lowering rents.
Everyone loves us versus them scenario. Landlords are evil, tenants are wasters….
But the fact is there are bad landlords and bad tenants. There are also good landlords and good tenants.
Improving tax credits for landlords to run things properly and making it cheaper to be a landlord would also benefit tenants. Making it easier for a landlord to evict the tenant that does not pay rent would also benefit most tenants.
Likewise improving security of tenure, making long leases more affordable, i’m really going after bad landlords would make the job of most landlords much better. Increasing supply of property and making it more fordable to buy and rent this property would also improve the situation for both parties.
If you go abroad for say six months and rent out your house you might find it very difficult to get it back due to new legislation. Tenants need security of tenure but there should be flexibility in the system for those that want their house back
@Pat Redmond:
Fine – you go ahead and square that circle.
Security of tenure vs the landlord taking it back whenever they want – mutually exclusive by definition.
@Pat Redmond:
P.S. what is to stop you putting in place a short term lease if you plan to return in 6 months?
So what will Leo say on people working in jobs that can’t pay the rent – they made the wrong lifestyle choice they chose to be born into working class instead of upper.
I live in Lusk where pyrite remediation works have been going on for 18 months and will continue into 2019. This is one of the primary reasons rent has skyrocketed in my area. The pyrite remediation budget allows for max €5,500 for three months to cover rent and moving costs and landlords know families are desperate to remain in the area for schools, crèches etc. €1,200 would have gotten you a 3-4 bed house; now a 3 bed would go for €1,600. Complete with mould, cracks, what have you. And availability is scarce meaning families are panicking once they get their one month’s notice from the pyrite board. One family I know who always rented finally moved back to the UK as it was no longer worth living here. This was once an affordable area. God help anyone looking for one of those now.
Fücking Disgrace
They think the renters got off too lightly ten years ago. They hate the fact people stayed renting and didn’t consider their cowboy mortgages. This is all spite
Greedy landlords taking advantage and putting up prices at every opportunity don’t help either. My landlord in Kildare kicked me out saying he wanted to move back in but I know for a fact he just wanted to let the property at a higher price!
@Lisa Cadogan: If this is true you wait until the house is re-rented at the higher price and bring a case to the RTB. If they find in your favour he will get a huge fine. I can’t understand why any landlord would take this chance. You see you as a tenant have the RTB on your side but try being a landlord getting rid of a non-paying over holding tenant. The cards are stacked against you
@Pierre Lecake:
Just claim you want to refurbish – then evict – refurbish and get new tenants.
This method is being abused constantly by landlords – with no protections for tenants.
RTB wont save you – and no compensation from landlord.
Serious strict laws and penalties for dodgy landlords are required – honest landlords not greedily trying to exploit people have nothing to fear.
There needs to be a cap on adults renting homes with just one kitchen! House advertised in our estate (Dublin Suburbs) as a 6-bed for €2800 per month. It’s a 4-bed with converted attic with two parking spots outside. Now what family can afford that apart from a bunch of sharing Professionals or couples. Our street is now overloaded with cars/vans, some parking up on grass verges and posing a safety risk to young kids playing or walking to nearby schools. The Mgt companies don’t care nor the landlords! Only going to get worse with more tenants squashing into family homes lining the Landlords pockets.
This is a massive failure for this gov, who a few weeks ago had this big launch for Ireland 2040, this week it’s the big launch of future of infrastructure Ireland, and Leo going around promoting his republic of opportunity. This is all just one big false charade, keeping up appearances by a totally useless gov.
Ten years ago I shared a house with a total monthly rent of 1600. The house was on south circular(wasnt one of the typical red brick victorian ones), was in good condition with a proper front yard keeping a good distance from path-way while also being in a quiet section and a half hour stroll to Dame street. Now houses in the Dublin 8 area which look like they’ve exceeded their best before dates(facades right up on the street and wasting away) are going for at least 200 more. Slagging Fianna Fail was a past-time for me back then but I think I can only come up with silent rage for the current shower
Sure what could possibly go wrong?
Love when people say this is a suppply and demand issue and if we increase supply costs will drop. My h*le they will drop. If a builder buys the land an over inflated rate how is he going to sell the houses for less?
That’s presuming the developer has a desire to drive a price drop. Why would they sell for less than an older house 5 minutes up the road? They won’t. If the are is going at a rate of 300,000 and new houses are built of the same size etc, they’ll be at least the same price if not more.
Supply and demand does not equate for greed and stupidity.
@Danny Murray:
They argued supply and demand for years during last bubble.
Building peaks at over 80k a year without reducing prices.
This isnt supply demand – it is controlling supply and prices of a necessity when people have no choice.
Effectively monopoly economics – involving coordinated price rises simultaneously by a group all wanting to increase profits and knowing the gov wont interfere.
Speaking as a small landlord in Dublin. a. I was getting 20% more in 2008. b. This is my pension. c. Now I can only increase the rent by 4% pa so it will be 5 yrs before i am back to 2008. d. I cannot get rid of yenants whi do not pau. If tenants cause problems for neighbours I am resonsible. e. I cannot do AIRBNB with my citu centre property due to some dictat by a politician. In my view homelessness is a non issue, there is loads of vacant property throughout the country and un the greater Dublin area, I do not understand why social welfare tenants need to be housed in the centre of Dublin. That area is full of s.w. people already it makes no sense except to the looney left.
let me be the first to congratulate 1. FG, 2. the banks and the all the other vested interests that FG are beholden too, including their own…
Root cause is not supply. It is high “Cost Of Build” in Ireland.
VAT alone is €28,000 added to 3 bed semi. No VAT on houses in most other civilised countries , incl UK!
37% of cost of house is artificially inflated due to Gov taxes and levies.
1973 Kenny Report buried …. by Fianna Fail and FG .. and Labour.
Need to bring brains to the Polling booths else Irish be prepared for continuing abuse.
https://www.change.org/p/referendum-on-family-home-special-status-in-ireland
They are also forgetting to add in order to avail of these €1,200-1,500 accommodation in Dublin (which are the rare few affordable ones) you must fight your way through open viewings which can only be described as a cattle mart where he with the most preferable references and employment title wins!!
have your say