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Hi everybody and welcome back to
another episode of the Elon Musk

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podcast where we talk about all 
things technology innovation. 

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And of course, today we're going
to be talking about space 

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travel. 
Today we have a lot to discuss, 

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particularly the United Launch 
Alliances. 

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ULA's second launch of the year,
an Atlas 5 rocket mission for 

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the National Reconnaissance 
Office in the Space Force. 

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Called Silent Barker NROL 107, 
this mission aims to deploy 

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watchdog satellites to 
geostationary Earth orbit, which

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will help us keep tabs on the 
activities of other countries in

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this orbital regime. 
Now, ULA's activities have been 

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fairly low key in comparison to 
SpaceX, which has conducted 63 

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orbital missions so far this 
year. 

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But don't let that overshadow 
the significance of the Analyst 

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5 launch, one that had the 
rocket in its most powerful 

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configuration, with five solid 
rocket boosters in the goal to 

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improve America's monitoring 
abilities in the geostationary 

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belts, where many of our vital 
communications and observation 

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satellites operate. 
It's more than just a rocket 

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going up. 
It's about national security in 

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the future of space 
reconnaissance if we backtrack a

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little bit. 
ULA's only other launch this 

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year was a D4 heavy back in 
June. 

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SpaceX, on the other hand, has 
been on A roll, managing to 

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accomplish 63 orbital missions 
across all of its launch 

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complexes, including California.
Now, the sheer number of SpaceX 

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missions has resulted in ULA 
falling into the background, but

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that doesn't negate the 
importance of these efforts. 

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The Atlas Fives launch marks the
48th launch of the year from the

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Space Coast, with only three 
missions not coming from SpaceX.

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One came from Relativity Space 
launching its 3D printed Terran 

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One rocket in March. 
But still more than three months

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to go in the year, the Space 
Coast is looking good to be its 

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2022 record of 57 launches. 
It's not just about quantity. 

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The quality and strategic 
significance of these launches 

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are also noteworthy. 
Silent Barker's mission is a 

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classified 1 involving multiple 
payloads designed to be placed 

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in geostationary Earth orbit. 
Now Chris Skoleze, director of 

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the National Reconnaissance 
Office of the NRO, explained 

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that the set lights will allow 
for enhanced understanding of 

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activities happening in the 
orbital belt. 

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Monitoring geostationary orbit 
is critical as it offers a 

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unique viewpoint for observing 
earthbound activities and other 

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set lights. 
And in terms of power, the five 

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boosters of the Atlas 5 
generated remarkable £2.1 

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million of thrust on liftoff, 
and these burn for around 90 

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seconds before separating from 
the first stage, which continued

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its upward trajectory. 
The Rocket Centaur upward stage,

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powered by a version of the 
Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engine, 

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will ferry its national security
payloads approximately 24,000 

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miles away from their 
destination. 

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Now it's worth mentioning that 
this isn't Atlas Five's first 

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rodeo. 
This is the 13th time that it's 

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flown with five boosters since 
its debut in 2006. 

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Past missions have included 
NASA's Juneau and New Horizons 

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missions, showcasing the Rockets
versatility and its reliability.

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Additionally, ULA only has one 
D4 heavy and 18 more Atlas 5 

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rockets left this lineup, with 7
earmarked for Boeing CST100 

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Starliner, 9 for Amazon's 
Project Viper satellite 

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constellation, and two others. 
Now ULA does have plans to 

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transition to its new Vulcan 
Centaur rockets, but there have 

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been delays. 
Despite these challenges, the 

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next launch is set for as early 
as September 26th, and it's an 

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important one. 
The first of Amazon's 9 Atlas 5 

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missions that will send test 
satellites into orbit. 

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These launches will pave the way
for multiple Vulcan missions as 

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well as launches of Aryan Spaces
upcoming Ariana 6 and Blue 

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Origin still in development? 
New Glen rockets. 

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However, things haven't been all
smooth sailing for SpaceX 

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either. 
The FAA has raised safety 

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concerns regarding Spacex's 
super heavy Starship launch 

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vehicle. 
As a result, SpaceX needs to 

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complete 63 corrective actions 
before another test flight is 

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authorized. 
These include hardware 

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redesigns, launchpad 
reinforcements, and enhanced 

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safety protocols. 
It's another hurdle that SpaceX 

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has to overcome, but it's 
crucial for ensuring the safety 

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and success of future missions. 
SpaceX has been making headlines

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for its frequent and successful 
launches. 

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It is also encountered some 
regulatory turbulence, 

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particularly from the FAA. 
Now, the FAA cited safety 

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concerns regarding Spacex's 
Starship, and according to the 

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agency, SpaceX needs to correct 
and complete 63 actions before 

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they can launch the Starship 
again. 

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These corrective actions 
encompass a wide range of 

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elements, including hardware 
redesigns, launchpad 

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reinforcements, and bolstered 
safety protocols. 

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And the FA A's involvement isn't
surprising given its mandate to 

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regulate all aspects of Civil 
Aviation, including commercial 

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space launches. 
Miss Spacex's Super Heavy 

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Starship is designed to be a 
reusable orbital class rocket, 

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making it the most powerful 
rocket ever developed. 

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Safety considerations are 
paramount now. 

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The FA A's role here is to 
ensure that the rocket design, 

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build quality and operational 
protocols meet rigorous 

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standards to protect both the 
crew and the public, and this 

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regulatory hurdle has 
implications for Spacex's 

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broader ambitions. 
The Starship super heavy is 

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crucial to the company's plans 
for interplanetary travel, 

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including missions to Mars and 
delays in its development and 

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testing timeline never ripple 
effect, potentially slowing down

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a variety of planned missions 
such as the Artemis 3 mission 

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and Artemis 4, and also 
commercial partnerships. 

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Now these could range from lunar
landings with Artemis even more 

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futuristic endeavors like 
establishing a human presence on

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Mars. 
However, this isn't necessary a 

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roadblock that could derail 
Spacex's overall trajectory. 

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Company has a track record of 
effectively responding to an 

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overcoming regulatory 
challenges. 

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Completing the 63 corrective 
actions is a tall order, but one

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within the realms of feasibility
for SpaceX. 

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What this scenario emphasizes is
the balance that needs to be 

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struck between innovation and 
safety, especially as a 

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commercial space travel becomes 
more central to our future in 

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space exploration. 
Now before we wrap things up, 

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let's touch on the geopolitical 
aspects of these launches. 

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Countries like Russia and China 
have been ramping up their space

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capabilities, including 
potential anti satellite 

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weaponry. 
Now this has an extra layer of 

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importance to the Silent Barker 
mission. 

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The satellites are expected to 
monitor any abnormal or 

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potentially threatening 
activities in the geostationary 

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orbit providing both defensive 
and deterrent capabilities. 

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Now. 
Thank you so much for listening 

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to the show today. 
We've covered a lot today, but 

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this is just a glimpse into the 
complex and competitive arena 

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that's the modern space 
exploration and security realm. 

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Now, as the year unfolds, it'll 
be fascinating to see how ULA 

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and SpaceX continue to shape the
future of space technology and 

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National Defense. 
Now don't forget to hit the 

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subscribe or the follow button 
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And until next time, please keep
looking up, take care of 

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yourselves and each other, and 
I'll see you in the next one.