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Hi everybody. 
Welcome back to the show. 

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We are continuing our week of 
Starship coverage here, and 

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today we got some really great 
information from the FAA. 

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Now SpaceX is on the brink of a 
pivotal moment as it prepares 

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for their second test flight of 
its Starship mega rocket, a 

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crucial element in the company's
ambitious space exploration 

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plans. 
And the Federal Aviation 

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Administration recently cleared 
SpaceX for their upcoming 

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mission, setting the stage for 
potential launch on November 

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17th from the Boca Chica 
Starbase facility in Texas, with

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a backup date November 18th and 
the 19th. 

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This follows a period of intense
scrutiny and required corrective

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actions after the first Test 
flight in April ended in the 

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rocket's destruction. 
Now the Starship, standing at 

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about 400 feet tall, represents 
a huge leap in rocket 

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technology. 
It's not only central to 

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Spacex's mission for future 
space missions, including 

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potential Mars expeditions, but 
also for NASA's Artemis program,

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more particular Artemis 3, and 
this launch, if it does happen, 

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will push them forward to an 
earlier launch date. 

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For Artemis 3, however, the road
to this point has been very 

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challenging. 
The FAA demanded 63 corrective 

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actions from SpaceX following 
their April incident, which saw 

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the rocket disintegrate over the
Gulf of Mexico and the 

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launchpad. 
Damage and delayed activation of

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the self destruct mechanism 
during the first flight prompted

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thorough investigations and 
safety overhauls for the ship 

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and for the ground systems. 
And in preparation for the 

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second flight, SpaceX has 
implemented numerous changes 

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including the construction of a 
water cooled steel flame 

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deflector to protect the launch 
mount. 

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Additionally, the rocket self 
destruct system has been refined

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for quick reactivation and a hot
stage separation system has been

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introduced to ensure smoother 
transitions during ascent. 

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Now these modifications along 
with the completion of 

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environmental reviews suggest 
SpaceX is closer to meeting all 

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regulatory requirements for this
flight. 

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And as SpaceX readies for the 
2nd test flight of the Starship 

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rocket, a comprehensive plan 
outlines every stage of this 

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mission. 
Propellant loading will be in 

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approximately one hour and 37 
minutes before launch, with a 

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critical engine chill phase 
starting at T -, 19 minutes and 

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40 seconds. 
This procedure is crucial for 

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conditioning the engines for the
Super cold propellants, and in a

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change from the first flight, 
the ignition sequence of the 

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Raptor engines will start at t 
-, 3 seconds, compared to the 

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previous eight second countdown.
This modification aims to reduce

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potential launch mount damage 
The following liftoff. 

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The rocket will face its first 
major test at Max Q, the point 

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of maximum aerodynamic pressure,
my favorite part of the flight, 

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which occurs 52 seconds into the
flight. 

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Another crucial moment. 
Miko main engine cut off will 

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happen at 2 minutes and 30 
seconds, marking the shutdown of

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the Raptor engine. 
This leads to the booster's 

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boost back burn start up at 2 
minutes and 53 seconds. 

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Just 23 seconds later, which is 
a maneuver preparing it for a 

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simulated landing in the Gulf of
Mexico, and the Starship upper 

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stage will then continue its 
journey, eventually splashing 

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down at the Pacific Ocean near 
Hawaii. 

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This test, however, does not 
include a full Earth orbit. 

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Now every phase of this mission,
especially the hot staging and 

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RE entry maneuvers, is critical 
for Space XS future plans. 

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The success of these stages will
provide valuable insights into 

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the Starship's capabilities and 
the limitations of the ground 

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systems. 
The booster and Ship 25 and the 

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upcoming test flight of the 
Starship is more than just 

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another launch. 
The success of this mission is 

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pivotal for the company's 
broader goals, including Mars 

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missions and the role in its 
Artemis program with NASA and 

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the Starship's power and the 
potential for reusability make 

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it a game changer. 
However, the 2nd test flight 

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carries its own set of 
challenges and uncertainties. 

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Key concerns include the 
performance of these Raptor 

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engines, the effectiveness of 
the hot staging process, and the

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rocket's ability to survive re 
entry. 

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And despite the rigorous 
preparation and modifications, 

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the possibility of unforeseen 
issues remains very high. 

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Elon Musk has said that he gives
it about a 60% chance of making 

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it to the final destination. 
Spacex's philosophy of rapid, 

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iterative development means that
whatever outcomes emerge from 

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this test will be crucial 
learning experiences. 

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They're not going to fail. 
They're going to move forward. 

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And the company has a history of
leveraging such experiences to 

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refine and improve its tech, as 
seen with its Falcon and its 

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Dragon spacecraft and the 
Starlink satellite network. 

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In essence, this test flight is 
not just about whether the 

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Starship reaches its intended 
destination. 

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It's about testing the limits of
the ship and the ground systems 

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down at Boca Chica Starbase, 
Texas. 

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Now the FAA and the US Fish and 
Wildlife Service have closely 

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scrutinized the environmental 
impact of this launch, 

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particularly focusing on the new
implementation of the water 

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deluge system. 
This system, designed to protect

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the launch mount, has raised 
concerns about its potential 

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effects on the surrounding 
ecosystem. 

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Safety has also been a major 
emphasis in the preparations for

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the flight. 
The first tests aftermath under 

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score the importance of a robust
self destruct mechanism which 

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has since been upgraded for 
quicker response. 

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Furthermore, the introduction of
a water cooled steel flame 

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deflector is a direct response 
to the damage caused to the 

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launch mount in April. 
The upcoming test will not only 

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be a technical trial, but also a
demonstration of how cutting 

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edge space ventures can coexist 
with the environment and also 

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the safety standards set by the 
FAA. 

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Now the second flight of 
Starship holds considerable 

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significance for the whole 
spaceflight industry. 

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A successful mission would 
validate the feasibility of 

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reusable rockets on a scale 
never seen before, potentially 

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reducing the cost of space 
travel over the next 1020 years.

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Now, this aligns with Spacex's 
vision of making space more 

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accessible and launching heavier
payloads into space more 

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ambitious missions, including 
humans colonizing Mars. 

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Moreover, Starship's role in 
Artemis highlights its potential

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impact on governmental space 
missions. 

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Success could revolutionize the 
way the government's approach 

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space exploration, offering more
flexible and cost effective 

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solutions. 
And could you imagine how big of

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a telescope you could fit in 
this thing? 

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And on the flip side, a failure 
could prompt a re evaluation of 

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the current trajectory of space 
technology development. 

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It would be a challenge for 
SpaceX to push the boundaries 

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anymore. 
Could they get an IFT 3 flight 

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to work properly if this one 
doesn't go well, That's in the 

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future. 
Regardless of the outcome, the 

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Starship test flight is set to 
leave a lasting imprint on 

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SpaceX, NASA and the general 
public. 

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The space fearing public and 
that's you and that's me. 

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So they're right on the cusp. 
This test flight a couple days 

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out and we're all going to be 
watching. 

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And please check out Space News 
Pod, that's our YouTube channel 

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for Space Flight, and go over 
there, subscribe, hit the 

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button, hit the bell. 
You know this, the, the whole 

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YouTube thing. 
And we're going to be giving you

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live coverage. 
And I do updates throughout this

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week for the Starship mission. 
So it's not just about launching

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a rocket. 
Whatever the outcome of this 

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flight, it'll provide valuable 
insights and lessons that will 

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shape what happens about 
Kachika, what happens with 

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SpaceX and the Starship Super 
Heavy in the future. 

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So thank you so much for tuning 
into this episode. 

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Remember to hit the subscribe or
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favorite podcast platform. 
It's free, just takes a second, 

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It helps you stay informed very 
quickly and join us next time 

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tomorrow as we continue to bring
the latest development and the 

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Starship. 
This is Starship Week O. 

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Get ready for this launch, 
possibly Friday, and they do 

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have backups on Saturday and 
Sunday O, we'll be there for 

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you. 
Thanks again. 

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Take care of yourselves and each
other and I'll see you tomorrow.