1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,320 Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,640 This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, The 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:13,520 Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, 4 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:18,360 and I'm your host, Will Walden. SpaceX is currently testing 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,760 their Starship Booster and Starship Vehicle 25 at Boca 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,440 Chica Starbase, Texas, and they've achieved a new milestone 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,920 by conducting static fire tests for both stages of its Starship 8 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:36,000 rocket system on the same day. This comes as the year ends for 9 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,440 SpaceX with a remarkable 96 space missions, and is now 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,280 gearing up for an important third orbital test flight of the 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,440 Starship, potentially including a payload deployment. 12 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,200 This is kind of a new thing so Starship, which is notable for 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,560 being the world's largest rocket, so its upper and its 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,880 first stages tested separately. And in a rare occurrence, SpaceX 15 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,760 carried out static fire tests for both the first stage Super 16 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,280 Heavy booster and the upper stage Starship rocket on the 17 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,280 same day. And while the specifics of the 18 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,640 engine tests are not fully disclosed, it's understood that 19 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,840 at least one engine on the Starship second stage was fired. 20 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,040 This stage is also integral to NASA's Artemis program for 21 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,800 landing astronauts on the Moon, heightening the importance of 22 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:25,440 these tests. Now detailed observations of the 23 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,440 second stage testing revealed that the ignition of the single 24 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,720 stage Raptor engine was particular test demonstration of 25 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,520 a flight like startup which is essential for in space burns. 26 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,880 Now, such specific testing is critical in assessing the 27 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,680 Starship's capabilities for actual space missions, 28 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,840 especially considering the precision required for in space 29 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,600 maneuvers and burns. And this test as to the 30 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,120 speculations about Starship's upcoming test flight, which may 31 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,960 include launching A payload into space and demonstrate Spacex's 32 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:02,360 focus on replicating real time mission conditions in its tests 33 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,680 now, the Starship program began all the way back in 2020. 34 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,360 It's actually longer ago that like 2016 actually started this 35 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,120 thing. But down at Boca Chica it's 36 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,880 around 2020 and it's been marked with rapid progress and 37 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,800 development and testing. And over the years, the company 38 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,600 has introduced new Raptor engines, upgraded a super heavy 39 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,400 booster, improve the launchpad water deluge system, and 40 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,120 streamline its whole production process. 41 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,720 And these advancements show that SpaceX is ready to go for the 42 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,000 Artemis 3 mission. The manufacturing process is 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,440 critical for Spacex's strategy to realize its ambitious goals 44 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,200 with Starship. Elon Musk has emphasized the 45 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,840 necessity of producing at least 100 Starships annually to 46 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,560 support the company's Mars colonizations plans. 47 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:52,480 A super heavy booster is designed to return to the launch 48 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,480 site within minutes of the launch, but the second stage 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,280 Starship takes considerably longer, necessitating a higher 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,840 production rate of starships Now to manage the expected launch 51 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,680 frequency, SpaceX is also expanding its infrastructure by 52 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,640 constructing a second launch site in Texas. 53 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:13,800 The success of today's static fire test is a huge step towards 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,000 the upcoming third flight test, and this next phase will involve 55 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,080 comprehensive evaluations including full stack 56 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,520 integration, ship and booster inspections, pad checks and any 57 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:26,800 necessary repairs to the spacecraft. 58 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,880 And Elon Musk recently announced via X, formerly known as 59 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,720 Twitter, the completion of a static fire test of the Flight 3 60 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,840 Super Heavy booster. Now these tests are critical to 61 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,840 verify the functionality of the entire system, encompassing 62 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:46,560 ground equipment, vehicle engines in both external and 63 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,200 internal plumbing. Now responding to a user on X, 64 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,040 Musk highlighted the operational efficiency of the Super heavy 65 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,600 booster, noting its rapid turn around time. 66 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,480 He said as it returns in about 6 minutes and can theoretically be 67 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,760 ready for reflight in about an hour, he's showing that the 68 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,440 booster has the potential for frequent reuse. 69 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,480 They would fly it back to Boca Chica Starbase, Texas, refurbish 70 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,800 the booster, do any sort of upgrades, make sure it works, 71 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,240 and then either fly it the same day or fly it within the next 72 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,399 few days or the week. So we're going to be seeing 73 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:26,200 boosters being reused, I believe, possibly by the end of 74 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,840 2024. Now Musk's vision for Space XS 75 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:33,520 production capabilities extends beyond the current targets. 76 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,440 He envisions raising the production of starships to 300 77 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,840 per year, far exceeding the initial goal of 100 Now. 78 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:43,840 This increase is vital to accommodate the longer orbital 79 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:46,440 and reuse cycles of the Starship compared to the booster. 80 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:51,200 If they do end up catching the booster first, the Starship 81 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:56,560 possibly will always land in the Pacific Ocean for a while, and 82 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,160 if they can catch the Starship booster, they can reuse those 83 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,880 things. So 300 starships per year seems 84 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:07,560 about right, and starship's longer orbit and ground track 85 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,240 alignment requirements mean it's reuse frequency might be limited 86 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,560 to just once a day. Now the ship needs to complete 87 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,640 at least one orbit, but often several to have the ground track 88 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,800 line back up with the launch site, so reuse may only be 89 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,720 daily. He wants starships to launch 90 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:31,800 like airplanes do frequently on the hour, and it seems like 91 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,680 they're going to be able to do that if they have 300 star 92 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,600 ships. Now these developments really 93 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,640 suggest that SpaceX will focus more on increasing the 94 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,440 production of starships than the Super heavy boosters. 95 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,680 The strategy aligns with a different operational and reuse 96 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,480 dynamics of the two components of the Starship, and the 97 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,520 significance of these tests cannot be understated as they 98 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,080 represent crucial steps in space. 99 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,680 XS journey towards more advanced and frequent space missions. 100 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,680 The successful static fire tests are important indicators of the 101 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,040 starship's readiness for more complex missions, including 102 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,000 potential payload deployments. Spacex's plans for the Starship 103 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,280 extend beyond lunar missions to the company envisions using the 104 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:14,760 rocket system for interplanetary travel, particularly for 105 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,320 missions to Mars. The company's focus on rapid 106 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,240 testing and development reflects its commitment to maintaining a 107 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,240 leading position in the space industry as well. 108 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,160 This is about business, and Spacex's ability to conduct 109 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,600 multiple significant tests in a single day shows that they have 110 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:33,280 the expertise in the robustness of technical infrastructure so 111 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:36,560 they can continue building starships faster and faster. 112 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,440 But looking ahead, Spacex's next steps will be closely monitored. 113 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,280 The upcoming third orbital test flight of the Starship is 114 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:47,040 particularly anticipated as it may include the first attempt to 115 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:51,360 deploy a payload into space, possibly Starlinks, a key 116 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:55,200 capability for future missions, and with each successful test 117 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,760 and development, SpaceX moves closer to realizing its vision 118 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,880 of interplanetary travel and potentially changing the course 119 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,480 of human space exploration. The company continues to set new 120 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,760 standards in space technology and exploration, and the success 121 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:13,000 of these static fire tests marks a step forward, a huge step 122 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:17,800 forward for the IFT 3 flight, possibly early next year. 123 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,920 We have a stream on our Space News Pod channel on YouTube, 124 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,240 youtube.com/space News Pod. If you want to watch the live 125 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,320 stream of Starship with my commentary, please go there and 126 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,080 subscribe and help us out. Hey, thank you so much for 127 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,280 listening today. I really do appreciate your 128 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:35,840 support. If you could take a second and 129 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,760 hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast 130 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,720 platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly 131 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:43,400 appreciate it. It helps out the show 132 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,160 tremendously and you'll never miss an episode and each episode 133 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,640 is about 10 minutes or less to get you caught up quickly. 134 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,000 And please, if you want to support the show even more, go 135 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:59,520 to Atreoncom, Stage Zero, and please take care of yourselves 136 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,440 and each other and I'll see you tomorrow.