Why Falcon 9 Faced FAA Investigations But Not Starliner | We Asked The FAA

Summary

This video script discusses the FAA's regulatory role in commercial space launches, contrasting SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket's anomaly investigations with Boeing's Starliner. It explains the distinction between FAA, NASA, and DOD oversight, emphasizing that Starliner's issues are under NASA's purview as it hasn't been commercially licensed by the FAA. The script also covers the process of transitioning from developmental testing to operational flights under FAA licensing.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The FAA requires anomaly investigations for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket but has not yet licensed Starliner, which is still under NASA's responsibility.
• 📚 The term 'grounded' is more applicable to aviation and not typically used for rockets; instead, the FAA holds the license during investigation.
• ⏱️ SpaceX's Falcon 9 was able to return to flight quickly (15 days and 2 days for two separate incidents) after FAA public safety determinations.
• 🔍 The script explores the difference between a rocket being 'grounded' and not being allowed to return to flight, although the exact difference is not clearly defined.
• 📖 The script references Title 14 and Title 51 of the US code to discuss the FAA's authority over commercial space transportation.
• 👨‍💼 Dan Murray from the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation explains the FAA's role as regulators for the commercial space industry.
• 🛰️ Starliner's issues were with the spacecraft itself, not the Atlas 5 launch system, which means Atlas 5 would not be affected but Starliner might be.
• 🤝 The responsibility for safety during a launch can fall to NASA, the Department of Defense, or the FAA, depending on who the launch is for.
• 🚀 The FAA does not license launches for the U.S. government, distinguishing between commercial and governmental/military launches.
• 📊 The FAA's website shows an increase in launch frequency, indicating a growing commercial space industry.
• 🔄 The commercial crew program's approach involves NASA taking responsibility during early demo missions and then transitioning to the FAA for operational flights.

Q & A

What is the role of the FAA in commercial space transportation?

The FAA serves as a regulator for the commercial space transportation industry, issuing licenses for companies to launch or re-enter their vehicles or operate a site.

Why did the FAA require anomaly investigations for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket?

The FAA required anomaly investigations for the Falcon 9 rocket after encountering problems with the second stage and landing issues that could potentially compromise public safety.

What is the difference between 'grounding' a rocket and holding a license during an investigation?

The term 'grounding' is more commonly used in aviation and doesn't directly apply to rockets. Instead, the FAA holds the license during an investigation, which means the rocket isn't allowed to fly until the investigation shows that safety wasn't compromised.

How quickly was SpaceX's Falcon 9 allowed to return to flight after the July anomaly investigation?

SpaceX's Falcon 9 was allowed to return to flight on July 27th, which was 15 days, 3 hours, and 10 minutes after the anomaly occurred, following a FAA Public Safety determination.

What specific issues did Starliner encounter during its third launch?

Starliner encountered problems with thruster overheating and malfunctioning seals during its third launch, which affected its performance.

Why did NASA decide not to use Starliner to return astronauts from the ISS after its third launch?

NASA decided not to use Starliner to return astronauts from the ISS due to the thruster and seal issues encountered during the mission, preferring to use other options for safety reasons.

What is the distinction between a rocket and a spacecraft in terms of FAA licensing?

The FAA distinguishes between the launch system (rocket) and the spacecraft. Issues with the spacecraft do not necessarily affect the launch system, and vice versa.

Why hasn't Starliner been grounded by the FAA like Falcon 9?

Starliner has not been grounded by the FAA because it has not been commercially licensed by the FAA. Its safety and licensing are still under NASA's responsibility.

Who is responsible for safety on a given launch, NASA, the Department of Defense, or the FAA?

The responsibility for safety on a launch depends on who the launch is for. It could be NASA, the Department of Defense, or the FAA, with each having different areas of responsibility.

How does the FAA's involvement differ between a licensed commercial launch and a non-licensed government launch?

Even if the FAA doesn't license a launch, they still assist with the launch process by providing services like airspace integration and notice to air missions.

What is the process for Starliner to move into an operational or commercial phase with the FAA?

For Starliner to move into an operational or commercial phase, it must complete successful missions under NASA's guidance, then go through the FAA's licensing process, which includes public safety determinations and possibly anomaly investigations.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 FAA's Role in Spacecraft Safety

The paragraph discusses the FAA's role in regulating commercial space transportation and its interaction with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. It clarifies that the FAA doesn't 'ground' rockets but holds the license during an anomaly investigation. The conversation with Dan Murray, Executive Director of Operational Safety at the FAA, provides insight into the FAA's process for issuing licenses and managing safety concerns. The FAA's approach to the Falcon 9 anomaly in July, which led to a rapid return to flight after a public safety determination, is highlighted. The paragraph also addresses the confusion around the terminology used for spacecraft safety compared to aviation.

05:00

🌌 Differences in Licensing for Rockets and Spacecraft

This paragraph distinguishes between the roles of the FAA and other agencies like NASA or the Department of Defense in overseeing the safety of space launches. It explains that the FAA is responsible for commercial launches, not governmental or military ones. The paragraph also highlights the difference between a rocket (the launch system) and a spacecraft, using the examples of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, as well as Boeing's Starliner and the Atlas 5 rocket. It points out that the FAA's involvement depends on who the launch is for and whether it's considered a commercial mission.

10:01

🛰️ FAA's Licensing Process and Safety Oversight

The paragraph delves into the FAA's licensing process for commercial space launches and re-entries. It mentions that even if the FAA doesn't license a launch, they still assist with the launch process, such as airspace management. The discussion includes the transition of responsibility from NASA to the FAA for SpaceX's Crew Dragon missions, moving from developmental test flights to operational commercial flights. The paragraph also touches on how the FAA works with other agencies to ensure public safety during space missions.

15:03

🔍 Starliner's Path to Commercial Licensing

This paragraph focuses on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and its journey towards commercial licensing with the FAA. It contrasts Starliner's situation with SpaceX's Dragon, which has successfully transitioned to commercial operations under the FAA's licensing. The paragraph explains that Starliner is still under NASA's responsibility and has not yet reached the commercial licensing stage with the FAA. It also discusses the potential future steps for Starliner to achieve commercial status and the uncertainty around NASA's certification process for the spacecraft.

Keywords

💡FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a U.S. government body responsible for the regulation of civilian aviation and space travel. In the video, the FAA is discussed in the context of its role in regulating commercial space travel, specifically in relation to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The FAA's involvement varies depending on whether the mission is commercial or government-sponsored.

💡Falcon 9

Falcon 9 is a rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for space transportation services. The video mentions Falcon 9 in the context of anomaly investigations that were required by the FAA after certain incidents. These investigations are part of the process to ensure the rocket's safety before it is allowed to return to flight.

💡Anomaly Investigation

An anomaly investigation refers to a detailed examination conducted after an unexpected event or issue occurs during a space mission. The video discusses how SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket underwent such investigations on two separate occasions, emphasizing the importance of safety in space travel.

💡Starliner

Starliner is a spacecraft developed by Boeing for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The video script discusses Starliner in the context of its test flights and the issues it encountered, such as thruster problems and seal malfunctions, which have raised questions about its safety and the need for anomaly investigations.

💡Commercial Space Transportation

Commercial space transportation refers to the private sector's involvement in space travel, separate from government or military operations. The video explains that the FAA regulates this industry by issuing licenses for companies to launch vehicles or operate sites, highlighting the distinction between commercial and government launches.

💡Regulation

Regulation in the context of the video refers to the set of rules and guidelines that govern space travel to ensure safety and compliance. The FAA is depicted as the regulatory body overseeing commercial space transportation, issuing licenses and overseeing anomaly investigations.

💡Public Safety Determination

A public safety determination is a decision made by the FAA that assesses whether a space mission can proceed without posing a significant risk to the public. The video mentions that after an anomaly investigation, the FAA can make such a determination to allow a rocket like SpaceX's Falcon 9 to return to flight.

💡Licensing

Licensing in this context refers to the process by which the FAA grants permission for commercial companies to launch their vehicles or operate space facilities. The video script explains that the FAA's licensing process is part of its regulatory role in commercial space transportation.

💡SpaceX

SpaceX is a private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk. The video discusses SpaceX in relation to its Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft, emphasizing the company's role in the commercial space industry and its interactions with regulatory bodies like the FAA.

💡International Space Station (ISS)

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space research laboratory in Earth's orbit, mentioned in the video as a destination for spacecraft like Starliner and Dragon. The script discusses missions to the ISS, highlighting the importance of successful and safe travel to this orbital platform.

💡Commercial Crew Program

The Commercial Crew Program is a NASA initiative to facilitate the development of U.S. spacecraft to transport astronauts to the ISS. The video touches on this program in the context of SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner, explaining how NASA takes responsibility for early test flights before transitioning to commercial operations under the FAA's licensing.

Highlights

FAA requires anomaly investigations for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on two separate occasions.

FAA's role in regulating commercial space transportation explained by Dan Murray, Executive Director of Operational Safety.

Term 'grounded' is not used for rockets; instead, the FAA holds on to the license during investigation.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 was grounded after a problem with the second stage in July, but returned to flight in 15 days.

FAA Public Safety determination allows SpaceX to continue flying while investigation is ongoing.

Starliner encountered problems with thrusters and seals during its third launch in June.

Starliner managed to get astronauts to the International Space Station despite issues.

Difference between rocket and spacecraft issues highlighted with examples of Falcon 9 and Starliner.

FAA does not license launches or re-entries by and for the U.S. government.

Responsibility for safety during a launch can fall to NASA, Department of Defense, or FAA.

FAA's involvement in the launch process even if they don't license the mission.

NASA and Department of Defense have first option to sponsor or take responsibility for launch safety.

Dragon demo flights were under NASA's responsibility until it moved to operational status.

Starliner's issues are still under NASA's purview, and the FAA has not licensed it for commercial operations.

NASA's role in certifying Starliner before it can move to commercial operations discussed.

FAA's process for issuing commercial licenses and the criteria for anomaly investigations explained.

Importance of public safety in space launches and the role of different agencies in ensuring it.

Transcripts

in recent history the FAA has required

an anomaly investigation for spacex's

Falcon 9 rocket on two separate

occasions when are they going to do the

same for Starliner well that's actually

a good question and a lot of you have

been asking that in the YouTube comments

we do read the comments and at first I

didn't know the answer so I sat down

with the FAA to help unravel the

process it's not the entire FAA that

we're talking to that's not how it works

but we've actually got Dan Murray who's

the executive director with the

operation of operational safety Dan

that's a mouthful what does that

actually mean like what do you do with

the FAA sure uh well first of all thank

you for having me here uh I really

appreciate the opportunity to talk to

you and your listeners uh so I uh I I'm

with the faa's office of commercial

space

Transportation uh we're one of several

called lines of business within the FAA

uh we serve as Regulators uh in this uh

instance to the commercial space

Transportation industry uh and the way

we go about doing that is by uh issuing

licenses uh for commercial companies to

launch or re-enter uh their vehicles or

to operate a site you can tell I had my

interview headset on so let's hop right

in on July 11th spacex's Falcon 9 was

grounded after a problem with the second

stage ended up in the loss of the

mission now the time out already we're

apparently not supposed to use the term

grounded we hear from time to time

sometimes in the media that a rocket is

grounded uh that's more of an aviation

term um you know we don't have fleets of

rockets like there are fleets of of

certain types of aircraft um and we

don't ground but what we do do is we

hold on to the license while the

investigation proceeds um there's a

chance that the investigation can again

demonstrate that uh safety was not not

in in Jeopardy in what with what

happened and at that point we can issue

a return to flight and we have done that

a number of times you may have heard of

aircraft being grounded when there's a

problem that prevents the entire class

of aircraft from flying

but if it's not grounded what's it

supposed to be for Rockets to try and

figure it out I actually pulled up title

14 chapter 3 commercial space

transportation for the Federal Aviation

Administration I searched for the word

ground and I found ground Trace ground

service equipment ground safety analysis

grounding when it comes to electronics

and lightning but I didn't find anything

that used the word ground grounded or

grounding in reference to stopping a

rocket from flying I can put a link in

the description if you want to search

for yourself so I actually backed out to

title 51 of the US code section 509

which establishes the fa's ability to do

these things and I found the Secretary

of Transportation May prohibit suspend

or inmediately the launch of a launch

vehicle well none of those said

grounding and I eventually found myself

thinking no disassemble afterwards but

that's a whole other story so I reached

out to the FAA for clarification and

they told me the launch provider may not

return to flight now what's the real

difference between not being able to

return to flight and being ground

grounded I don't know but if I keep

saying grounded in this video please

forgive me it's just because I don't

have a better term to use and that sort

of sums it up in one easy word the

rocket can't fly or more specifically

the Rocket's not allowed to fly anyways

back to that Falcon 9 anomaly in July

after the anomaly investigation was

initiated SpaceX returned to flight on

July 27th that's in a lap time of 15

days 3 hours and 10 minutes liftoff to

liftoff it's pretty fast when they

returned to flight they were able to do

so because of a FAA Public Safety

determination which basically just

determined that the public safety wasn't

in Jeopardy due to that anomaly so they

could continue flying while they

continued the investigation and as far

as I know that mishap investigation is

ongoing but then again on August 28th a

landing anomaly grounded Falcon 9 again

in that instance Falcon 9 returned to

Flight 2 days 23 hours and 55 minutes

liftoff to liftoff after the anomaly and

you thought 2 weeks was fast now the

same thing there the public safety

determination found that the public

wasn't really unsafe due to that anomaly

so Falcon 9 could very rapidly return to

flight and that brings us to Starliner

on June 5th Starliner launched for the

third time this time with crew aboard

during this Mission Starliner

encountered all sorts of problems

primarily with the thrusters overheating

and seals not working the way they're

supposed to the purpose of this video

isn't to dig into the details of

Starliner problems we'll all agree it

had problems that need to be figured out

now even though there were crew aboard

Starliner got the astronauts to the

International Space Station just fine

for certain values of fine I mean the

astronauts themselves were okay so even

though they made it there safely with

the problems that occurred in the lack

of explanation on exactly why those

problems occurred NASA felt like it

didn't need to take the risk and send

the astronauts back down to earth on the

Starliner and I can tell you um when you

push the edge of the envelope again and

you do things with spacecraft that have

never been done before just like

Starliner you're going to find some

things and in this case we found some

things that we just could not get

comfortable with uh putting us back in

the Starliner when we had other options

so Starliner with no astronauts aboard

undocks from the ISS and returns to

earth safely at Whit sand space Harbor

now again there were a couple problems

on the way down some more Thruster

problems an issue with a navigation

reboot or loss of signal which can be

pretty important for a spacecraft that's

trying to land but it did come down just

fine so even though Starliner made it

back given the fact that it left the

astronauts on the space station and had

all these issues over the course of the

mission is starl going to be grounded I

mean there were no people aboard the

Falcon 9es and it couldn't fly but

Starliner had crew aboard what's going

to happen well top of the pile one of

the big things that you might realize is

the difference between the rocket and

the spacecraft in the case of Falcon 99

Falcon 9 is the launch system and dragon

is the spacecraft that is launched by

that launch system for Starliner Atlas 5

was the launch system and Starliner was

the spacecraft so there's an important

Point here about where specifically the

problem occurred was it the launcher or

was it the spacecraft in the case of

Falcon 9 both problems were with a

launch system itself either the second

stage which pushed the payload the rest

of the way into orbit or the first stage

which on occasion returns back to the

launch site so we really need to

understand what's going on with those l

ings in the case of the Starliner the

issues were firmly on Starliner side not

on Atlas 5 so in this case specifically

Atlas 5 wouldn't be affected but

Starliner might be on the flip side if

Falcon 9 is grounded realistically

dragon is also grounded and that's not

for any licensing or regulation reason

it's just because dragon is only

designed to launch on Falcon 9 so in

this case a problem with a launcher

could affect the ability to launch a

spacecraft all right beyond that I I

think we can all agree that launching

Rockets safely is a very important thing

so the question becomes who is

responsible for the safety On Any Given

launch and that actually comes down to

who the launch is for in the United

States it could be NASA it could be the

department of fence or it could be the

FAA I mean the FAA comes right out and

says the FAA does not license launches

or re-entries by and for the United

States government now this goes all the

way back to 1984 when the commercial

space launch Act began to separate the

concept of commercial launches from

governmental launches or or military

launches in fact the first commercial

launch was in 1989 it was a Starfire

suborbital vehicle that was licensed

there but if you look at the big NASA

launcher that operated all those years

the space shuttle none of the space

shuttle missions were managed by the FAA

they were all managed by NASA and some

military satellites like spy satellites

nrol that sort of stuff you'll see

actually get the responsibility from the

Department of defense so this was all

fine in the 9s and 2000s when the launch

Cadence was sort of like doing its thing

but look at today where the launch

Cadence has literally gone in the

stratosphere I mean technically goes

through the stratosphere whatever the

important thing is that somebody has to

be responsible for making sure we're

doing the launches in a safe manner but

does it actually happen this way well

you can look for yourself if you look

down in the description or over in the

comments you'll actually find a link to

the faa's commercial space transport

data website you can click through it

yourself you can look through all the

different licenses and counts and stuff

all the way back to 1989 through the

present launches that are launching

right now so let's go through an

exercise here you can do it yourself or

or I'll do it here look through the web

page and see if you can't find

inspiration 4 it's pretty solidly

commercial space mission

right there it is you can see that it

was licensed by the FAA all right let's

try a crew mission like SpaceX crew

7 also there licensed by the FAA but

wait you might say wasn't that a mission

for NASA good point hold on we'll

explain it now let's look up dragon demo

1 is Dragon demo 1 in this

database it's not that one wasn't

licensed by the

FAA so some things we can talk about

there but first let's mosy on over and

look at the re-entries yep the

re-entries are there as well can you

find Starliner

there nope but how about Polaris

Dawn there it

is but here's a real doy right remember

the crew capsule Orion supposed to fly

on SLS go around the Moon part of the

Artemis program but its first demo

flight wasn't actually a board SLS it

was on a Delta 4 heavy do you think

that's going to be in the list or not

interestingly even though this Orion

flight was aboard a United launch

Alliance Delta 4 heavy rocket for a NASA

Mission It was a commercial provider

testing A system that they would use for

NASA it wasn't actually for NASA so that

one was licensed by the

FAA take a minute and think about how

that would apply to maybe Starship in

its role in the Artemis program so

anyways by clicking around the FAA

website you can you can see what

launches and what re-entries they're

actually licensing and ones you might

think would be in there that aren't

actually in there because somebody else

has responsibility for the safety on

that that mission plus it's kind of cool

to see the increased launch Cadence the

little ramp on the graph there at the

end in recent years as a space fan

that's nice to see now I will point out

that even if the FAA doesn't license a

launch they still help with the launch

process I mean think about the the

notice to air missions and clearing the

airspace so that maybe a NASA licensed

launch can launch through airspace

that's been cleared by the FAA even

though the FAA is not licensing that

mission so they can still be involved

and they can still assist with the

launch process even though they not the

one sort of in charge of the safety in

fact they actually said uh FAA does

provide airspace integration for launch

and re-entry as we do for all licensed

and non-licensed space operations

occurring in the US national airspace

system sounds very official but it's a

whole thing making sure commercial

flight patterns aren't going through

launch zones when it's time to launch

rockets but that leads me to a really

interesting question if somebody needs

to be responsible for safety and it can

be NASA or it can be the dod or it can

be the FAA

who gets to

decide I mean does NASA just roll up and

say nah we got this we're going to we're

going to go ahead and certify this one

well actually yeah that's kind of how it

works the top level agencies NASA and

the Department of Defense sort of have

like a first option to to sponsor or

take responsibility for the safety of a

launch and if they don't take that

responsibility then it falls to the FAA

to make sure that somebody's on the

watch looking out for Public Safety but

don't take my word for it here's Dan

from the FAA helping explain it to me

basically the question comes down is who

is is overseeing the public safety uh we

don't need duplication we don't need

multiple agencies all looking at the

same thing only one agency needs to do

it and DOD can do it NASA can do it we

can do it um but there's kind of an

agreement with regard to the way the

service is being procured where we

decide it's oh it's commercial it's FAA

or it's not going to be commercial it's

it's DOD or NASA does NASA get to decide

like okay no this is a NASA rocket we

don't need the FAA for that one or do

they ask the fa hey do we need you for

this one like who makes that decision

ultimately it's the dod or or NASA um

deciding very early on usually uh in the

in the life of the program uh that they

either want to be responsible for the

safety oversight of it or or they're

willing to to let uh the fa do that now

if you keep digging around for

regulations you might find some things

that are sort of outside the the focus

of this video like did you know that in

order to be the pilot of a spacecraft

you actually need to have a pilot's

license with an instrument rating and

also the FAA has some regulations around

making sure that uh passengers are

trained on Safety Systems if they're

riding aboard a spacecraft but the thing

I want to focus on is who's responsible

for looking after the safety so let's

dig into some specifics right let's go

over to the dragon demo flights if you

look at these the first demo flights

were all under NASA's responsibility I

mean Dragon demo 1 back in March of 2019

was an uncrewed test flight that was

sort of sponsored by NASA moving on to

Dragon demo 2 in May of 2020 that one

had crew aboard but it was still under

NASA not the FAA and then you reached

the third flight of dragon crew one the

first operational flight of dragon now

here NASA actually made a specific point

of pointing this out in a press

conference the the big milestone here is

that we are now moving uh away from

development and test and into

operational flights uh and in fact uh

this operational flight was licensed by

the FAA so this is a truly a commercial

launch vehicle and we're grateful to our

partners at SpaceX for providing it and

our partners at the FAA for licensing it

and from there on out all of the

operational missions of dragon were

licensed by the FAA as commercial

missions with NASA as the customer not

as NASA missions under NASA's Safety

Authority I mean Crew 2 345 Etc but also

the Axia missions inspiration 4 in

Polaris and this is intentional the way

the commercial crew program is set up

NASA takes responsibility during the

early demo experimental missions but

then when the spacecraft system moves to

an operational status they give that to

the FAA to continue commercial

operations where NASA is just another

customer it's actually why they set up

the whole commercial crew idea this way

I mean hey make a spacecraft we'll help

you get it started sell it to other

people and sell it to us too to help

Drive some cross down we'll just be a

customer for you and you see SpaceX

doing exactly that which you love to see

now timeout you may say some of those

Dragon missions had issues well that

might be true but none of the issues

Rose to the level of requiring a mishap

investigation so even though dragon is

operating commercially you haven't seen

any anomaly investigations required for

Dragon to date so to sum it up NASA

helped Dragon get going and now SpaceX

offers Dragon to other entities as a

commercial service it's fantastic I just

wish that I could afford one all right

that's all great but where are we with

Starliner Starliner is on flight three

by flight three dragon was operating as

a commercial spacecraft but remember the

first Starliner flight had some pretty

big problems back during o1 in December

of 2019 Starliner was UN crude but it

had some massive problems with a

disagreement in the clocks that kept it

from reaching the International Space

Station in fact NASA was on the hooks

for safety there and they required

another flight uncrewed out of Starliner

before they would proceed with the

program

that occurred in May of 2022 and it made

it to the International Space Station

without crew but it was plagued with

Thruster problems as well so fast

forward to June of 2024 when NASA

authorized the crude flight test for

Starliner that's when Bush and sunny

went up to the International Space

Station but once again Starliner had

Thruster issues remember NASA's still on

the hook at this point they have not

certified Starliner for commercial

operations the FAA hasn't commercially

licensed Starliner or licensed Starliner

in any way shape or form it's all still

NASA so even though Starliner made it

all the way back home ostensibly safety

and could have carried astronauts this

is still on NASA NASA hasn't certified

Starliner for the next step we don't

even know what NASA is going to require

out of the next flight of Starliner but

the important point is the FAA hasn't

licensed Starliner it hasn't even made

it to those commercial licensing Gates

yet because it hasn't completed a

successful mission under NASA's guidance

I mean will NASA actually certify

starlander to move forward as of right

now that's unknown there's been no

official statement as to whether or not

NASA's going to require another flight

or move into the next phase who knows I

think the timeline is a little

bit uh we're going to take our time to

figure out what we need to do to go fly

Starliner one right um it'll take a

little time to lay that out and then get

into the testing and then you know I

think we'll see where we're at in

another month or so we'll have a little

bit better idea of what the overall

schedule will be so when or more likely

if Starliner actually moves into an

operational or commercial phase it's

going to have to go through all of these

same Gates and all of these same Hoops

to get a commercial license from the FAA

and I really don't see that happening

until NASA certifies it I mean NASA

needs to be happy with it as a

spacecraft before anybody else should be

happy with it but in any event I'm not

entirely sure we're going to see

customers banging down Boeing's doors

asking for commercial flights on

Starliner but the important thing here

why did the FAA require anomaly

investigations for Falcon 9 on two

separate occasions but we haven't heard

a peep about them requiring an anomaly

investigation for Starliner is because

the FAA hasn't licensed Starliner in the

first place that still firmly rest on

the shoulders of NASA and we're going to

have to look to them for the future of

Starliner so I hope that clears up some

of y'all's questions down in the YouTube

comments I really do read through all

the comments and while a lot of the

times the comments are pretty sometimes

yall have really good questions and I

want to go out and actually find the

answers for you cuz I get to learn as

well quick thanks to our friends Maria

and Alice over at T-minus Space daily

podcast for coordinating the FAA

interview if you're looking for a daily

dose of detailed news and insights on

the evolving space Market check them out

there's a link down in the description

and also big thanks to the FAA for

actually sitting down down and letting

me just ask questions so that I could

better understand this and share the

information with youall my name is John

Galloway for NASA space flight and I'll

see you nerds later thanks for watching