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Hi, everybody, and welcome back 
to the show this week. 

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It's Starship Week here, so 
we're going to be talking about 

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Starship today. 
This is a quick update episode, 

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because things change rapidly 
with Starship every single day. 

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I'm your host, Will Walden, and 
in today's episode, we're 

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examining Spacex's upcoming 
Starship test launch. 

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After the April explosion of its
first Test flight. 

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SpaceX is now ready for another 
attempt. 

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Originally scheduled for Friday,
the launch has been postponed to

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Saturday to replace a grid fin 
actuator. 

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It's a part that moves the grid 
Fins at the top of the booster 

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of a Starship system crucial for
future moon and Mars missions, 

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will have a launch window 
opening at 7 AMCT this Saturday.

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This test is critical for 
Spacex's ambitions to explore 

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space, including its role in 
NASA's Artemis 3 moon mission, 

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and could significantly 
influence the future of space 

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travel. 
Now, the SpaceX Starship System 

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represents a huge leap in space 
tech. 

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Standing at about 400 feet tall,
it's the most powerful launch 

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vehicle ever built, and the 
system consists of two main 

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parts, the Starship spacecraft 
and the Super Heavy booster 

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combined. 
It's called the Starship Super 

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Heavy, and this upcoming launch 
is particularly important as it 

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follows a previous launch 
attempt in April, which ended in

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an explosion. 
And the success of this test 

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flight is not just vital for 
SpaceX but also for NASA as the 

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Starship is poised to play a 
pivotal role in the Artemis 3 

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Moon mission. 
Now the outcome of this launch 

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could heavily influence the 
timeline and the success of the 

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United States lunar exploration 
goals. 

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In preparation for this launch, 
SpaceX has made numerous 

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enhancements to both the 
Starship spacecraft and the 

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Super Heavy booster, and after 
the failure of the first Test 

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flight, the company has 
implemented thousands of 

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upgrades. 
These include changes to the 

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launchpad now equipped with the 
water deluge system to mitigate 

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the force of the boosters, 
engines, and modifications to 

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the method of separation between
the Starship and the Super heavy

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booster. 
And despite these improvements, 

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Spacex's CEO Elon Musk has set 
cautious expectations for the 

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test, estimating only a 50% 
probability of reaching orbital 

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velocity. 
And Spacex's ambition for 

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Starship go beyond just this 
test flight. 

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The company envisions the 
Starship as a key vehicle for 

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human exploration and eventual 
settlement of Mars, and the test

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flight success is also crucial 
for Artemis, with NASA's hopes 

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to return astronauts to the moon
in 2025 or maybe 2026. 

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And delays and failures not only
impact SpaceX but also NASA's 

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timelines, with potential 
implications for the space race 

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against nations like China and 
Russia. 

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Moreover, Spacex's approach to 
rocket development, 

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characterized by rapid 
iterations and learning from 

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failures, sets a unique pace in 
the industry and also with 

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regulatory bodies. 
And the launch has also been 

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mired in regulatory and 
environmental challenges. 

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SpaceX had to navigate through 
regulatory hurdles with the FAA 

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following the April explosion. 
And while SpaceX criticizes 

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these regulations for delaying 
progress, environmentalists 

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argue that the FAA hasn't done 
enough to prevent damage to 

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surrounding public lands and 
wildlife refuges. 

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Now this tension highlights the 
complex balance between 

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technical advancements and 
regulatory oversight and also 

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Environmental Conservation in 
the space industry. 

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And SpaceX was cleared by the 
FAA and the Fish and Wildlife 

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Service to launch the Starship 
Super Heavy without a hitch. 

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They passed all the tests. 
Now, this launch has significant

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international and also 
commercial implications. 

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The success of the Starship 
could reinforce that the United 

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States positioned in the new 
space race, particularly against

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China. 
It also underscores the 

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increasing role of private 
companies like SpaceX, once a 

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domain dominated by national 
space agencies like NASA. 

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The outcome of this launch could
therefore shape not only 

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Spacex's future, but also the 
broader dynamics of 

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International Space exploration 
and commercial Space Flight. 

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Now looking ahead, the success 
of this launch could pave the 

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way for more advanced Starship 
missions, including satellite 

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delivery and in orbit refueling 
capabilities. 

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These advancements are essential
for deep space missions such as 

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to Mars and also interplanetary 
travel. 

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However, a failure could lead to
further delays and re 

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evaluations, impacting both 
SpaceX and NASA's future plans. 

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The stakes are high and we are 
watching this launch closely and

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I think it's going to be 
successful. 

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I'm going to give it. 
Elon gave it a 50% chance. 

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I'm going to give it a 70% 
chance it'll reach orbital 

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velocity, and once it does, I 
give it 100% chance to land off 

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the coast of Hawaii near Kauai 
in a naval graveyard. 

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That's where it's going to do a 
belly smacker into the Pacific 

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Ocean. 
It's going to be an exciting 

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ride now. 
Thank you so much for tuning 

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into the show today. 
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Now please take care of 

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yourselves and each other and 
I'll see you tomorrow.