Hi everybody and welcome back to another episode of the Elon Musk
podcast where we talk about all things technology innovation.
And of course, today we're going to be talking about space
travel. Today we have a lot to discuss,
particularly the United Launch Alliances.
ULA's second launch of the year, an Atlas 5 rocket mission for
the National Reconnaissance Office in the Space Force.
Called Silent Barker NROL 107, this mission aims to deploy
watchdog satellites to geostationary Earth orbit, which
will help us keep tabs on the activities of other countries in
this orbital regime. Now, ULA's activities have been
fairly low key in comparison to SpaceX, which has conducted 63
orbital missions so far this year.
But don't let that overshadow the significance of the Analyst
5 launch, one that had the rocket in its most powerful
configuration, with five solid rocket boosters in the goal to
improve America's monitoring abilities in the geostationary
belts, where many of our vital communications and observation
satellites operate. It's more than just a rocket
going up. It's about national security in
the future of space reconnaissance if we backtrack a
little bit. ULA's only other launch this
year was a D4 heavy back in June.
SpaceX, on the other hand, has been on A roll, managing to
accomplish 63 orbital missions across all of its launch
complexes, including California. Now, the sheer number of SpaceX
missions has resulted in ULA falling into the background, but
that doesn't negate the importance of these efforts.
The Atlas Fives launch marks the 48th launch of the year from the
Space Coast, with only three missions not coming from SpaceX.
One came from Relativity Space launching its 3D printed Terran
One rocket in March. But still more than three months
to go in the year, the Space Coast is looking good to be its
2022 record of 57 launches. It's not just about quantity.
The quality and strategic significance of these launches
are also noteworthy. Silent Barker's mission is a
classified 1 involving multiple payloads designed to be placed
in geostationary Earth orbit. Now Chris Skoleze, director of
the National Reconnaissance Office of the NRO, explained
that the set lights will allow for enhanced understanding of
activities happening in the orbital belt.
Monitoring geostationary orbit is critical as it offers a
unique viewpoint for observing earthbound activities and other
set lights. And in terms of power, the five
boosters of the Atlas 5 generated remarkable £2.1
million of thrust on liftoff, and these burn for around 90
seconds before separating from the first stage, which continued
its upward trajectory. The Rocket Centaur upward stage,
powered by a version of the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engine,
will ferry its national security payloads approximately 24,000
miles away from their destination.
Now it's worth mentioning that this isn't Atlas Five's first
rodeo. This is the 13th time that it's
flown with five boosters since its debut in 2006.
Past missions have included NASA's Juneau and New Horizons
missions, showcasing the Rockets versatility and its reliability.
Additionally, ULA only has one D4 heavy and 18 more Atlas 5
rockets left this lineup, with 7 earmarked for Boeing CST100
Starliner, 9 for Amazon's Project Viper satellite
constellation, and two others. Now ULA does have plans to
transition to its new Vulcan Centaur rockets, but there have
been delays. Despite these challenges, the
next launch is set for as early as September 26th, and it's an
important one. The first of Amazon's 9 Atlas 5
missions that will send test satellites into orbit.
These launches will pave the way for multiple Vulcan missions as
well as launches of Aryan Spaces upcoming Ariana 6 and Blue
Origin still in development? New Glen rockets.
However, things haven't been all smooth sailing for SpaceX
either. The FAA has raised safety
concerns regarding Spacex's super heavy Starship launch
vehicle. As a result, SpaceX needs to
complete 63 corrective actions before another test flight is
authorized. These include hardware
redesigns, launchpad reinforcements, and enhanced
safety protocols. It's another hurdle that SpaceX
has to overcome, but it's crucial for ensuring the safety
and success of future missions. SpaceX has been making headlines
for its frequent and successful launches.
It is also encountered some regulatory turbulence,
particularly from the FAA. Now, the FAA cited safety
concerns regarding Spacex's Starship, and according to the
agency, SpaceX needs to correct and complete 63 actions before
they can launch the Starship again.
These corrective actions encompass a wide range of
elements, including hardware redesigns, launchpad
reinforcements, and bolstered safety protocols.
And the FA A's involvement isn't surprising given its mandate to
regulate all aspects of Civil Aviation, including commercial
space launches. Miss Spacex's Super Heavy
Starship is designed to be a reusable orbital class rocket,
making it the most powerful rocket ever developed.
Safety considerations are paramount now.
The FA A's role here is to ensure that the rocket design,
build quality and operational protocols meet rigorous
standards to protect both the crew and the public, and this
regulatory hurdle has implications for Spacex's
broader ambitions. The Starship super heavy is
crucial to the company's plans for interplanetary travel,
including missions to Mars and delays in its development and
testing timeline never ripple effect, potentially slowing down
a variety of planned missions such as the Artemis 3 mission
and Artemis 4, and also commercial partnerships.
Now these could range from lunar landings with Artemis even more
futuristic endeavors like establishing a human presence on
Mars. However, this isn't necessary a
roadblock that could derail Spacex's overall trajectory.
Company has a track record of effectively responding to an
overcoming regulatory challenges.
Completing the 63 corrective actions is a tall order, but one
within the realms of feasibility for SpaceX.
What this scenario emphasizes is the balance that needs to be
struck between innovation and safety, especially as a
commercial space travel becomes more central to our future in
space exploration. Now before we wrap things up,
let's touch on the geopolitical aspects of these launches.
Countries like Russia and China have been ramping up their space
capabilities, including potential anti satellite
weaponry. Now this has an extra layer of
importance to the Silent Barker mission.
The satellites are expected to monitor any abnormal or
potentially threatening activities in the geostationary
orbit providing both defensive and deterrent capabilities.
Now. Thank you so much for listening
to the show today. We've covered a lot today, but
this is just a glimpse into the complex and competitive arena
that's the modern space exploration and security realm.
Now, as the year unfolds, it'll be fascinating to see how ULA
and SpaceX continue to shape the future of space technology and
National Defense. Now don't forget to hit the
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And until next time, please keep looking up, take care of
yourselves and each other, and I'll see you in the next one.