1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,800 Hi everybody and welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast. 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,520 I'm your host, Will Walden, and today we're going to be talking 3 00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:08,720 about something that's absolutely at this forefront of 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,960 space exploration. SpaceX is Starship rocket and 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,240 the preparations for its next orbital flight. 6 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,120 Now, some of you may already be aware that SpaceX is waiting for 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,120 the Fish and Wildlife Service, the FWS, to give them the green 8 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,830 light for the next launchpad. Now, simultaneously, the company 9 00:00:25,830 --> 00:00:29,310 has filed an application with the FCC for communication 10 00:00:29,310 --> 00:00:32,990 permissions during the upcoming Starship test flight, expected 11 00:00:32,990 --> 00:00:37,550 to commence this coming January. Possibly now, these bureaucratic 12 00:00:37,550 --> 00:00:40,630 steps are routine for SpaceX, but what's really intriguing 13 00:00:40,630 --> 00:00:43,150 here are the technological leaps, including several 14 00:00:43,190 --> 00:00:46,870 upgrades this next test is slated to showcase. 15 00:00:47,350 --> 00:00:49,630 So in today's episode, we'll be talking you through the 16 00:00:49,630 --> 00:00:52,620 specifics of the imminent Starship test flight, including 17 00:00:52,620 --> 00:00:56,020 major changes to the Rockets design and how these upgrades 18 00:00:56,140 --> 00:00:59,740 aim to help this behemoth, the largest and most powerful rocket 19 00:00:59,740 --> 00:01:02,140 to date, reach orbit successfully. 20 00:01:02,980 --> 00:01:04,420 Now the stakes couldn't be higher. 21 00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:07,540 Starship is expected to be the vessel that helps humanity set 22 00:01:07,540 --> 00:01:11,420 foot on Mars and return to our nearest neighbor, the moon. 23 00:01:12,060 --> 00:01:15,260 Now, first on the list of big modification is something that's 24 00:01:15,260 --> 00:01:18,900 an engineering marvel, the concept of hot staging. 25 00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:22,700 Traditionally, rockets execute a stage separation by halting the 26 00:01:22,700 --> 00:01:26,660 main engines on the booster and before the second stage even 27 00:01:26,660 --> 00:01:29,060 fires up. And however, SpaceX plans to 28 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:32,940 keep Starships engines ignited while it's still essentially 29 00:01:32,940 --> 00:01:37,140 attached to the booster, which we refer to as the Super Heavy. 30 00:01:37,660 --> 00:01:41,900 Now, a former SpaceX mission director speculates this will 31 00:01:41,900 --> 00:01:46,700 give the rocket a payload increase of about 10%, and to 32 00:01:46,700 --> 00:01:50,550 facilitate this, SpaceX has integrated vents and heavy duty 33 00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:53,830 heat Shields at the top of the Super heavy booster. 34 00:01:54,110 --> 00:01:57,270 This ensures that the flames can escape, preventing the rocket 35 00:01:57,270 --> 00:02:01,030 from blowing up mid flight. The method is a bit riskier 36 00:02:01,030 --> 00:02:03,510 since the booster could potentially be damaged, but 37 00:02:03,510 --> 00:02:06,590 sometimes risk is synonymous with advancement. 38 00:02:07,350 --> 00:02:09,990 Now let's pivot for a moment to talk about another angle of the 39 00:02:09,990 --> 00:02:13,910 upcoming Starship test, the focus nature of the FCC 40 00:02:13,910 --> 00:02:16,830 application that SpaceX recently filed. 41 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,520 Unlike other filings, this one is narrower in scope, 42 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,040 specifically seeking approval for communication channels 43 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,040 between the Starship booster and the launch site. 44 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,880 The absence of other elements like the full Starship vehicle 45 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,120 in the application raises some interesting questions. 46 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,320 Could this suggest a series of test runs focusing predominantly 47 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,600 on the booster and the paperwork could hint at SpaceX adopting a 48 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:46,670 step by step approach, perhaps focusing initial tests at the 49 00:02:46,670 --> 00:02:51,430 first stage before proceeding to comprehensive trials involving 50 00:02:51,430 --> 00:02:54,590 the entire rocket system. This would allow SpaceX to 51 00:02:54,590 --> 00:02:58,190 ensure that each component of this complex machine is in top 52 00:02:58,190 --> 00:03:01,990 shape before the actual orbital flight takes place. 53 00:03:03,030 --> 00:03:06,910 Now, the third major change we're discussing today is the 54 00:03:06,910 --> 00:03:09,110 engines. As we all know, the Raptor 55 00:03:09,110 --> 00:03:12,270 engine is fundamentally more complex than the Merlin engines 56 00:03:12,270 --> 00:03:15,740 that power the Falcon 9. This complexity makes the engine 57 00:03:15,740 --> 00:03:19,220 more susceptible to leaks and therefore SpaceX has taken 58 00:03:19,220 --> 00:03:22,860 significant steps to improve the valves and seals on the Raptor 59 00:03:22,860 --> 00:03:26,140 engines and have seeing the fire suppression systems to manage 60 00:03:26,220 --> 00:03:29,380 any potential accidents and make them more efficient. 61 00:03:30,180 --> 00:03:32,740 Now, with 33 Raptor engines powering the first stage 62 00:03:32,740 --> 00:03:36,820 booster, we're talking about an incredible level of engineering 63 00:03:36,820 --> 00:03:39,810 intricacy. The effort to ensure each of 64 00:03:39,810 --> 00:03:43,330 these engines operates optimally is crucial not just for the 65 00:03:43,330 --> 00:03:46,650 success of the mission, but also for the long term goals that 66 00:03:46,650 --> 00:03:49,650 Starship aims to achieve, including the colonization of 67 00:03:49,650 --> 00:03:53,450 Mars and renewed lunar missions with the Artemis program with 68 00:03:53,450 --> 00:03:57,930 NASA, let's talk about the visual spectacle this Starship 69 00:03:57,930 --> 00:03:59,890 presents. It's not just the world's 70 00:03:59,890 --> 00:04:03,890 largest rocket, but also the one with the most engines on a first 71 00:04:03,890 --> 00:04:06,990 stage booster. When these 33 engines light up 72 00:04:06,990 --> 00:04:10,750 for a flight again, it's a sight to behold, unrivaled by any 73 00:04:10,750 --> 00:04:12,830 current or in development rockets. 74 00:04:13,190 --> 00:04:16,230 Additionally, a hot staging ring will be added to the top of the 75 00:04:16,230 --> 00:04:19,950 first stage booster, ensuring the stage separation is a 76 00:04:19,950 --> 00:04:23,670 success, and this will address the primary failure point of the 77 00:04:23,670 --> 00:04:27,350 last Test in April. And with these numerous 78 00:04:27,350 --> 00:04:30,030 upgrades, we're clearly marching toward a future where space 79 00:04:30,030 --> 00:04:33,670 travel isn't just a feat of engineering, but also a 80 00:04:33,710 --> 00:04:36,790 mesmerizing spectacle. The 2nd Starship test flight 81 00:04:36,790 --> 00:04:39,830 promises not just to correct past mistakes, but to push the 82 00:04:39,830 --> 00:04:43,750 envelope on what is possible in rocket design and engineering. 83 00:04:44,230 --> 00:04:46,390 Now that wraps up today's episode of the Elon Musk 84 00:04:46,390 --> 00:04:48,590 Podcast. Thanks for tuning in to catch up 85 00:04:48,590 --> 00:04:51,790 on the latest about SpaceX and the next Starship orbital test 86 00:04:51,790 --> 00:04:53,510 flight. If you found this episode 87 00:04:53,510 --> 00:04:56,510 informative, don't forget to hit the subscriber follow button on 88 00:04:56,510 --> 00:04:59,950 your favorite podcast platform. It's free and it just takes a 89 00:04:59,950 --> 00:05:03,410 second, so please take care of yourselves and each other and 90 00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:04,530 I'll see you in the next one.