Hello everybody, welcome back to the show.
In today's episode we're unpacking the recent updates on
Space XS Starship, which has been in the spotlight for both
technological advancements, huge rocket 400 plus feet tall and
the most powerful rocket in the world.
And it's been in the spotlight lately for regulatory delays
mainly and the testing that's been done within the last week.
Now, SpaceX has performed all necessary pre flight operations,
but this massive rocket still awaits crucial permits from
federal agencies. While many look to the skies
with eagerness, Starship is grounded and as the completion
of the launch licensing process remains a pending affair.
SpaceX had its second test flight planned for Starship and
even completed a full wet dress rehearsal.
However, the company faces multiple regulatory hoops before
the rocket can break Earth's gravitational pull, and one of
the last major hurdles involves a review by the Federal Wildlife
Service, the FWS, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation
Administration, the FAA. And this review is a detailed
examination of starships potential environmental impacts,
particularly focusing on the newly installed water deluge
system at the Boca Chico launch site in Texas.
Now earlier this year, a test flight faced severe issues
ranging from damaged launch mounds to disruptions in local
wildlife and even uncontrolled fires.
And this led to a comprehensive investigation resulting in 63
corrective actions proposed for SpaceX, all of which they
claimed to have completed by September 10th.
Now the newly installed Water Dyard system, designed to
mitigate the Rockets immense force during liftoff, is under
close scrutiny by the FWS to confirm its compliance with
federal regulations, particularly the federal Clean
Water Act. Now the review by FWS is
mandated by the Endangered Species Act, which requires
reinitiating formal consultations for projects with
substantial modifications. And the Water Dillard system is
a substantial modification to the underbelly of the launch
system. That Starship goes out from now.
Given the serious nature of these regulations and the
sensitive ecosystem surrounding the Boca Chica region, this
review is a critical step before SpaceX can proceeds with its
ambitious second launch of Starship, hopefully make it to
orbit now. The FAA has its own history with
Space XS Starship. It concluded its own
investigation in September, but hasn't yet green lighted the
second flight pending the FWS assessment.
And if the FAA feels that the modifications made by SpaceX
warrant re evaluation, we might be looking at even more
extensive regulatory review process now.
Last August, the FAA tried to kick start consultations by
providing a new biological assessment.
However, the Fish and Wildlife Service found this data
insufficient for a full review, prompting another submission in
early October. In this initiated the formal
consultation process which will decide the fate of the Starship
project. The FWS has until March 3rd of
2024 to offer its consultations at its conclusions, although it
aims to wrap up the process by November 18th this year.
It seems that both regulatory bodies, while exercising due
caution, have different opinions and priorities and timelines.
SpaceX recently faulted the FAA for being understaffed, claiming
that this was a significant cause for the delays.
And while this may be true to some extent, Spacex's own
decision to move fast and break things has LED them into a
tangled web of regulations and reviews.
SpaceX is doing things outside of the normal regulatory system,
and they're doing things faster and harder than everybody else
in the industry. So the regulations, according to
SpaceX, have to catch up to them now.
The Coast Guard District 9. It's also issued a notice
suggesting that the next rocket launching operations are planned
for between 5:25 to 11:00 AM near Boca Chica Beach.
However, as we all know, such schedules are not set in stone
and can change at a moment's notice, especially considering
the FAA's approval and still pending.
And as of now, all eyes are on the calendar and the regulatory
boards. Despite these delay, SpaceX has
been quite proactive. Just Tuesday, the company
conducted a full wet dress rehearsal, fueling both the
Starship and the Super Heavy booster with more than £10
million of propellant, and the vehicle is said to be ready for
its second test flight, pending, of course, regulatory approval.
Now the upcoming tests are also set to receive support in the
form of imagery from one of NASA's WB 57 High Altitude
Research aircraft. And while regulatory boards
continue their assessment, SpaceX hasn't slowed down its
preparations for the 2nd test flight, signalling its
confidence and eventually obtaining the required
approvals. Now, for those keeping an eye on
potential launch states, it's important to manage your
expectations. Though given the layers of
regulation and multiple agencies involved, the exact launch
window remains speculative. FAA spokesperson Steve Culm has
expressed optimism about completing the safety review by
the end of October, but this isn't quite confirmed yet.
And SpaceX, despite the looming uncertainty, has continued with
its rigorous testing. Continuously testing.
At Star Basin, Texas, they recently showcased their new
dilute system, which has become a focus of environmental
concerns. The Fish and Wildlife Service is
evaluating the system's environmental impact,
particularly concerning the endangered species residing in
the surrounding wetland habitats.
And the dilute system, which is essential for controlling heat,
noise, and force, raises a few environmental eyebrows.
Environmental advocates have questioned SpaceX is permitting
for the system under the Clean Water Act, as the water used is
exposed to a range of contaminants, posing a risk to
sensitive habitats. And according to Texas
Commission of Environmental Quality, SpaceX currently holds
only a storm water permit for the site.
And the FWS in the Texas Park and Wildlife Department had both
engaged in clean up efforts following the previous test
flight, which had widespread effects, including a dust plume
that reached areas as far away as about 6.5 miles.
Spacex's journey to the second launch of the Starship It's been
a little bit bumpy and the maiden flight in April not only
caused extensive damage to the launchpad, but also led to an
out of control tumble in a subsequent explosion over the
Gulf of Mexico. So where does this leave SpaceX?
After all, this isn't just a run-of-the-mill tech startup,
it's a company that has literally changed our
relationship with space exploration.
However, with great power comes great responsibility and
understaffed FDA can be blamed for only so much.
At the end of the day, SpaceX chose to adhere to a philosophy
it's more Silicon Valley than Kennedy Space Center Move fast,
take risks, and sometimes pay the price.
But can you really afford to move fast and break things, when
what you're breaking could be fragile ecosystems or even
endanger human life? Now the fact remains that the
upcoming test flight of the Starship has been hamstrung in
part by Spacex's own missteps, and they found themselves
entangled in a web of regulatory review processes, corrective
actions that are partly the result of a precarious test
flight and environmental concerns.
And while they've claimed to complete 63 corrective actions
in partnership with the FAA, the ball is now in the court of the
Fish and Wildlife Service, which is reviewing the environmental
impact of Starbase's new deluge system.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has been fueling the Rockets and
performing flight like rehearsals.
They've clearly ready and eager to proceed.
But the regulatory apparatus is not something one can simply
wish away, especially when public safety and Environmental
Conservation are at stake. So as much as SpaceX might be
feeling the itch to get Starship back in the sky, they must also
reckon with the consequences of their previous decisions.
Let's not forget, amid all these delays and regulatory issues,
SpaceX has created an on spying machine.
It's a huge star. SpaceX has created a gigantic
rocket, and Starship is the largest rocket ever built,
designed to take humans to Mars and beyond.
It's an astonishing technological feat, but the
grandeur of the technology must be balanced with its impact both
on the Earth and the sky. There's no room for kind of
quarters with this when you're dealing with projects this
large. Now, thank you so much for
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