FAA Starship Approval: Why It's A Big Deal For SpaceX!

What about it!?
1 Mar 202420:48

Summary

TLDRThe video discusses recent SpaceX Starship progress and investigations into the rocket's second test flight failure. It explains theories about what caused issues with the booster and ship, highlighting a potential engine explosion and procedural complications. Updates are provided on preparations for the third test flight, Starship's launch license approval, and ambitious 2024 launch goals. The script also covers a new SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the ISS, developments with Rocket Lab's Electron rocket and forthcoming medium-lift Neutron rocket, and introductions of new satellite platform naming conventions.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿ˜Š The FAA has closed its investigation into Starship's second test flight, clearing the way for future launches
  • ๐Ÿš€ SpaceX aims to launch 9 more Starships in 2024, a massive increase, but faces regulatory and infrastructure challenges
  • ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿš€ Crew Dragon will soon take 4 astronauts to the ISS on the Crew-8 mission for a handover with Crew-5
  • ๐Ÿš™ Rocket Lab made big progress on Neutron in 2023 and plans to launch reused Electron boosters and many satellites
  • ๐Ÿ˜ฎ An engine explosion likely caused Super Heavy's failure in the test flight due to a filter blockage allowing combustion instability
  • โš™๏ธ SpaceX modified Starship's propellant system and switched to electric thrust vector control actuators after the last failure
  • ๐Ÿ›  LC-3, Neutron's future launch site, is now under construction with tanks and engines in production
  • ๐Ÿ˜€ Despite a launch failure, Rocket Lab completed a record 10 Electron launches in 2023 and already 2 more so far this year
  • ๐Ÿ”ฌ Janette Epps finally gets to fly to space after waiting since she trained for Expedition 56 in 2018
  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ Rocket Lab continues to grow its satellite manufacturing business, unveiling a new naming scheme for its Photon buses

Q & A

  • What caused the pressure drop in Super Heavy's oxidizer pump during the boostback burn?

    -SpaceX found that a filter blockage at the oxygen intake to the engine caused the pressure drop, disrupting the fuel to oxidizer balance and resulting in an engine explosion.

  • How many Starship launches is SpaceX hoping to conduct in 2024?

    -SpaceX is discussing with the FAA the possibility of launching nine more Starships in 2024.

  • What upgrades need to happen at the Starbase launch site to support a monthly Starship launch cadence?

    -Achieving a monthly launch cadence could require some major upgrades to the launch infrastructure itself (referred to as Stage Zero), although the specifics are not provided.

  • Who makes up the crew for the Crew-8 mission to the ISS?

    -The crew consists of Commander Matthew Dominic, Pilot Michael Barrett, and Mission Specialists Janette Epps and Artem Ginzburg.

  • What is Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket and what is its status?

    -Neutron is Rocket Lab's new medium-lift reusable rocket under development to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9. Major components like tanks and engines are now in production, targeting first launch in late 2024.

  • What changes were made to Starship after the investigation into its second test flight failure?

    -Changes include modifications to the tank filtration system, measures to minimize propellant sloshing, transitioning to an electric TVC system, and eliminating pre-second engine cutoff propellant dumps.

  • What is Rocket Lab's new satellite naming scheme?

    -The new scheme names satellites Photon, Pioneer, Explorer, or Lightning based on factors like mission duration and capability.

  • Why does the FAA need to investigate failures of Starship test flights?

    -Under an experimental launch license, any deviation from the pre-approved flight plan automatically triggers an investigation by the FAA before further licenses can be granted.

  • How was Rocket Lab able to launch 10 Electron rockets in 2023?

    -Rocket Lab launched 10 Electron rockets in 2023, surpassing their previous record of 9 launches set in 2022.

  • What is Rocket Lab's goal for Electron launches in 2024?

    -With 10 launches already in 2023 and momentum continuing into 2024, Rocket Lab is aiming to launch 15 or more Electron rockets this year.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿ›ฐ๏ธ Investigating Starship's Crash and Preparing for Next Flight

Paragraph 1 summarizes the investigation findings into the crash of Starship's second test flight. It explains SpaceX leads the investigation and submits analysis to the FAA. The FAA agreed with SpaceX's conclusions, clearing the way for future Starship launches. The root causes were an engine explosion likely due to a blocked filter causing combustion instability in the booster stage, and an oxygen leak and data link severance in the ship stage.

05:00

๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿš€ Modifications to Prevent Future Starship Failures

Paragraph 2 details the corrective actions SpaceX is taking for both Starship and Super Heavy before the next test flight. This includes changes to prevent propellant sloshing issues, upgrading to an electric thrust vector control system, eliminating potential leak sources in the ship, and modifying procedures around engine shutdowns and propellant dumps.

10:01

๐Ÿš€ Optimistic Plans for Many 2024 Launches

Paragraph 3 discusses SpaceX's ambitious goal of launching 9 Starships in 2024 and the regulatory and infrastructure challenges involved. It notes the need for launch site upgrades and faster environmental approvals to achieve a high flight cadence. Even 5 launches in 2024 would be a major increase.

15:01

๐Ÿš€ Rocket Lab's Electron and Neutron Updates

Paragraph 4 covers Rocket Lab's latest news around their Electron rocket and new medium-lift Neutron rocket. It details their record 2023 launch numbers, progress on rocket reusability, updates on Neutron development, expanded satellite production capabilities, and infrastructure works underway for the new launch pad LC-3.

20:05

๐Ÿ’ซ Wrapping up the Latest Space Updates

Paragraph 5 provides concluding thoughts, urging viewers to like, subscribe and buy merchandise to support the channel. It also previews potential topics for the next video.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กStarship

Starship is SpaceX's next-generation, fully reusable rocket system aimed at human spaceflight to Mars and beyond. The video discusses the investigation results and lessons learned from Starship's recent test flight explosions, SpaceX's plans to conduct up to 9 Starship launches in 2024, and the challenges involved in such rapid iteration and launch cadence.

๐Ÿ’กRaptor engine

Raptor is the methane-fueled rocket engine developed by SpaceX to power Starship. The video explains how an imbalance in the fuel-oxidizer ratio led to combustion instability and ultimately explosion of a Raptor engine, triggering the failure of the Starship prototype's recent test flight.

๐Ÿ’กFAA investigation

The FAA oversees and regulates commercial launch vehicles in the US. After each Starship test flight anomaly, they conduct an investigation based on data provided by SpaceX to determine probable causes before permitting further test flights. The video discusses the FAA's recent closure of the Starship flight investigation which clears the way for more test flights in 2024.

๐Ÿ’กLaunch cadence

Launch cadence refers to the frequency of rocket launches. SpaceX aims to rapidly iterate and test Starship prototypes to enable a very high launch rate of potentially 9 Starships per year. However, the video highlights infrastructure limitations and regulatory hurdles associated with such an ambitious goal.

๐Ÿ’กFlight termination system

The flight termination system or FTS provides range safety by destroying a rocket if it deviates from the planned trajectory. According to the video, while the FTS did terminate the recent Starship flight, it was likely not the initial trigger - an engine explosion preceded and caused the anomaly chain.

๐Ÿ’กRapid unscheduled disassembly

A humorous term used in the space industry to describe catastrophic launch vehicle explosions. The video analysis traces the Starship test flight failure to combustion instability inside a Raptor engine, which then set off a rapid unscheduled disassembly event.

๐Ÿ’กWet dress rehearsal

A comprehensive launch rehearsal during which the rocket is fully fueled before launch. The video predicts that SpaceX's next step will be to conduct a wet dress rehearsal with the Starship stacked on the booster, in order to gather necessary data to obtain FAA approval for the next test flight.

๐Ÿ’กFlight hardware

Hardware that is qualified for actual spaceflight use on missions, as opposed to test articles used only in ground development and testing. Regarding the Neutron rocket development, the video states that Rocket Lab has begun producing flight-capable hardware like engine components and stage tanks.

๐Ÿ’กPad infrastructure

The terrain, structures and ground support equipment at a launch site that enable vehicle integration, testing, fueling and liftoff. The video touches on how SpaceX must upgrade their pad infrastructure to achieve rapid Starship launch cadence, while Rocket Lab is building a new dedicated Neutron launchpad.

๐Ÿ’กSatellite constellation

A networked cluster of satellites working together in orbit, often to provide global connectivity. According to Rocket Lab's plans highlighted in the video, they will manufacture satellites for multiple upcoming broadband megaconstellations.

Highlights

SpaceX just completed a massive step in obtaining the launch license for Starship

Closing an investigation after a failed launch is required to obtain future launch licenses

SpaceX found an engine explosion was the direct cause of the Super Heavy booster failure

A filter blockage disrupted the fuel-oxidizer ratio, causing an engine to explode

SpaceX plans to make modifications to prevent issues like propellant sloshing

The upcoming Starship flight will transition thrust control from hydraulic to electric

The next step towards the launch license is a full dress rehearsal

SpaceX discussed launching 9 more Starships in 2024, presenting regulatory challenges

Achieving monthly Starship launches could require major infrastructure upgrades

SpaceX Crew Dragon is launching 4 astronauts to the ISS on the Crew-8 mission

Rocket Lab plans to launch Electron rockets powered by 9 reused engines

Rocket Lab aims to launch the maiden flight of the Neutron rocket by late 2024

Rocket Lab is building a new launch complex for Neutron rockets

Rocket Lab introduced a new satellite naming scheme - Photon, Pioneer, Explorer

Rocket Lab continues ambitious growth, aiming to become the 'second SpaceX'

Transcripts

play00:00

the FAA is done starship's second flight

play00:03

investigation closed what happened is

play00:04

the way clear for if3 ship 28 conducts a

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spin Prime what is next another Dragon

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will visit the ISS soon and Rocket lab

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releases a massive electron and neutron

play00:19

update my name is Felix welcome to what

play00:22

about it let's Dive Right In Starship

play00:24

updates SpaceX just completed a massive

play00:27

step in obtaining the launch license

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Things Are are picking up momentum want

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to know what exactly this means follow

play00:33

me the contrast between starship's first

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and second flight was striking so much

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has improved between these two launches

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for a second it even looked like

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everything would go perfectly on the

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second try and yet despite achieving

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several key objectives during the second

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integrated flight test both rocket

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stages ultimately met a catastrophic end

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it's important to note that under an

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experimental launch license any

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deviation from the FAA pre-approved

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Flight Plan plan automatically triggers

play01:01

an investigation you can't skip this

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step however there is a widespread

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misconception about who actually

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conducts these investigations contrary

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to what some might think SpaceX itself

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leads the mishap investigation for

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Starship the company is responsible for

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Gathering evidence and developing a

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hypothesis to explain the outcome of the

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launch the faa's role is to review

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spacex's findings and then either agree

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with the conclusions and close the

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investigation or demand them to dig

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deeper to pinpoint the root cause

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closing such an investigation is a big

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deal as it is required to obtain future

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launch licenses this is why mishap

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investigations are a top priority for

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the launch provider after a launch goes

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south on February 26th the FAA

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officially concluded the investigation

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into starship's second flight based on

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spacex's detailed analysis so the FAA is

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happy with spacex's analysis in return

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this closure gives us some official

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theories about what went wrong wrong

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let's focus on the super heavy booster

play02:02

first spacex's investigation pinpointed

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the attempted boost back burn as the

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beginning of the complications this

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maneuver was supposed to allow super

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heavy to return to a designated landing

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area which for this flight was the Gulf

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of Mexico however the Boost back quickly

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got out of control some engines failed

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to ignite while others shut down

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prematurely then Parts began to detach

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from the F section and suddenly super

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heavy turned into a massive Fireball but

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why was it the flight termination system

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here's the twist not necessarily the

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team found out that an engine explosion

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was the direct cause of the booster

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failure now you might be wondering why a

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raptor would blow up weren't they

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supposed to be reliable yes but there is

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one thing an engine can't beat

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combustion instability Raptors operate

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on liquid methane as a fuel and liquid

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oxygen as an oxidizer for thrust to be

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generated safely without risking engine

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failure a precise fuel to oxidize a

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ratio IO of 3.6 to1 must be maintained

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at all times even a small deviation from

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this ratio can quickly escalate to

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catastrophic events aka Big B boom in

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the best case scenario the engine might

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simply shut down and refuse to work in

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the worst case an imbalance can lead to

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overheating culminating in the engine

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consuming itself and exploding engine

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Rich exhaust not what you want to see on

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a flying booster SpaceX found that

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during the Boost back maneuver there was

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a pressure drop in the oxidizer turbo

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pump disrupting the fuel to oxidizer

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balance resulting in an explosion the

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cause of this pressure drop a filter

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blockage at the oxygen intake to the

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engine this is where the official

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explanation ends and we enter the

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speculative territory a filter blockage

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might result from foreign object debris

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or fod which is fancy speak for

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something that doesn't belong there this

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could be literally anything such as a

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tool Left Behind or a rock that somehow

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made its way inside the tank although

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rigorous pre-launch inspections are

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conducted to prevent fod no one's

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perfect someone could have missed

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something another possibility is that

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the filter was blocked by something that

play04:11

was originally a part of the rocket

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itself that is my favorite Theory we

play04:16

suspect that during the Boost back

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propellant slush caused some issues

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perhaps the force with which the

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oxidizer hit the SLO be installed inside

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the tanks managed to dislodge one

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blocking the filter in return what do

play04:28

you think does this s plausible to you

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please let me know in the comments

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interestingly spacex's statement did not

play04:35

address whether the flight termination

play04:36

system on the booster was activated

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previous updates hinted at this

play04:40

possibility but the recent findings

play04:42

suggest that this time we saw a genuine

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rapid unscheduled disassembly triggered

play04:47

by the engine explosion hopefully we

play04:49

won't see more rods in the future as a

play04:51

result of the investigation seven

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corrective actions were pinpointed for

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the booster it includes modifications to

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the tank filtration system and measures

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to minimize sloshing this might confirm

play05:02

our suspicions that the welding marks

play05:04

observed on booster 10's liquid oxygen

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tank were indeed related to the addition

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of extra anti-slash baffles SpaceX may

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also consider adjusting the Boost back

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maneuver itself possibly to make it

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slightly less aggressive so much for the

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booster turning our attention to the

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ship the sequence of events leading to

play05:22

its failure is quite an interesting one

play05:25

despite a promising start to the

play05:27

starship's upper stage flight all

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engines unexpectedly shut down leading

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to an FTS trigger and the vehicle's

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destruction Elon Musk has previously

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disclosed that the second flight carried

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more propellant than necessary for the

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intended flight profile this was done to

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simulate how Starship would react to

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real payload on board however for safety

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purposes there is a limit to the maximum

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amount of propellant remaining upon ship

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splash down although the likelihood of

play05:54

ship 25 successfully re-entering and

play05:56

achieving splash down was slim if it did

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this this propellant would turn it into

play06:01

a massive BMB to mitigate this a

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decision was made to vent the Surplus

play06:05

liquid oxygen before engine shutdown

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unfortunately this procedure created a

play06:10

leak in the F section sparking an

play06:12

onboard fire that destroyed the data

play06:14

link between the flight computers this

play06:17

deviation from the planned flight

play06:18

profile led to the automatic activation

play06:20

of the flight termination system

play06:22

rupturing the Rockets tanks this

play06:24

incident reminds me of the loss of

play06:26

booster 7 where an onboard fire

play06:28

similarly severed engine communication

play06:30

with the flight computers in light of

play06:32

these findings SpaceX has identified 10

play06:35

additional corrective measures to be

play06:37

addressed before the third flight can

play06:39

proceed some of these changes aim to

play06:40

enhance the ship's reliability by

play06:42

eliminating all possible leak sources

play06:45

One update is the introduction of three

play06:47

new pipes in the a section of the ship

play06:49

speculated to offer a way to get rid of

play06:51

oxygen if necessary another interesting

play06:54

point is the planned elimination of

play06:56

pre-second engine cutof propellant dumps

play06:59

this phrasing raises some eyebrows it

play07:01

could imply a general strategy for all

play07:03

future missions yet the specific mention

play07:06

of a second engine cut off hints at the

play07:08

possibility of the third Starship

play07:10

reaching true orbit this definitely

play07:13

wasn't in the second Flight Plan finally

play07:15

a significant technological shift for

play07:17

ship 28 involves transitioning from a

play07:19

hydraulic to an electric thrust vector

play07:22

control or TVC system Believe It or Not

play07:25

ship 25 used in the second flight still

play07:27

operated with a hydraulic power unit

play07:30

relying on pistons for engine gimal the

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upcoming flight will see both the ship

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and the booster equipped with electric

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actuators these not only promise greater

play07:39

reliability but also remove another

play07:41

potential source of fire as most

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hydraulic fluids are flammable these

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changes were sufficient for the FAA to

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Mark the investigation as concluded well

play07:50

done SpaceX however it is important to

play07:53

note that a positive investigation

play07:55

outcome doesn't automatically Grant

play07:57

SpaceX the license for the upcoming

play07:59

flight flight did you know that the next

play08:00

step towards securing that license

play08:02

involves conducting a full dress

play08:04

rehearsal an event that could be very

play08:06

close just a few days back as discussed

play08:09

in our previous update ship 28 made its

play08:11

way to pad B while booster 10 was

play08:13

returned to Mega Bay for further work

play08:16

the anticipation was high for a static

play08:17

fire test to let the Raptors Roar one

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last time before the launch however

play08:22

things took an unexpected turn on

play08:24

February 26th the road at Starbase was

play08:27

finally closed signaling that testing

play08:29

activity was around the corner shortly

play08:31

after liquid oxygen began flowing into

play08:33

ship 28's locks tank several dozen

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minutes later plumes of white Vapor

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began escaping from the ship's skirt

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that was the spin Prime test this

play08:42

process involves using a small amount of

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propellant to spin the Raptor turbo

play08:46

pumps ensuring they operate correctly

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typically aesthetic fire test would

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follow a few days after this procedure

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yet in an interesting plot twist a ship

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transport stand and the LR 11000 crane

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made their way to Pat be B suggesting

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that the static fire wasn't on the table

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anymore literally instead it appears

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that chip 28 will be moved and stacked

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on top of booster 10 speaking of the

play09:08

issues this prototype faced seem to have

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been minor after a brief 8 Days stay in

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the mega Bay the booster was transported

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back to the launch site in the early

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hours of February 28th as captured by

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our photographer John if I had to guess

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we should see a fully stacked Starship

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even before this video airs followed by

play09:26

a full wet dress rehearsal then the FAA

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would have all the necessary data to

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issue a launch license right now I'd say

play09:33

that we are around 2 weeks away from a

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launch if everything works out but Felix

play09:38

shouldn't they take things slower not if

play09:40

your goal is to launch nine more

play09:42

Starships this year Yes you heard

play09:44

correctly SpaceX is discussing with the

play09:46

FAA the possibility of launching nine

play09:49

Starships in 2024 there are a few issues

play09:52

however firstly the rapid iteration of

play09:54

Starship designs presents a regulatory

play09:57

issue each new starship version

play09:59

introduces hundreds of modifications

play10:01

from its predecessor under the current

play10:03

regulations obtaining a single license

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for a vehicle that under goes so many

play10:07

changes between flights is not feasible

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moreover the existing environmental

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assessment permits a maximum of five

play10:14

flights annually to exceed this

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frequency a new environmental impact

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statement could be required a process

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that would take over a year to complete

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you see where this is going then there

play10:25

is the launch infrastructure itself

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stage zero isn't ready for Rapid

play10:29

reusability yet although SpaceX

play10:31

constantly upgrades the launch site to

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support more frequent flights achieving

play10:35

a monthly launch Cadence could require

play10:37

some major upgrades while the prospect

play10:40

of nine Starship launches in 2024 is

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thrilling you should lower your

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expectations still even managing to

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conduct let's say five launches would be

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a massive increase from 2023 so what are

play10:52

your thoughts how many Starship launches

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do you believe SpaceX will conduct in

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2024 and does the FAA need a reform

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leave your thoughts in the comments now

play11:01

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to Felix with more space news going

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going back to the news we begin with

play13:00

another crude space flight that's right

play13:02

I'm talking about Crew 8 following the

play13:04

success of the axium 3 private mission

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in January space access dragon is once

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again taking humans to the International

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Space Station unlike its predecessor

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this mission is not privately funded

play13:15

it's another installment in NASA's

play13:17

commercial crew program or CCP this

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program has proven to be one of NASA's

play13:23

wisest Investments particularly looking

play13:25

at spacex's side of the deal let's not

play13:27

talk about that other capsule right now

play13:29

the crew for this Mission consists

play13:31

mostly of individuals new to space

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leading the team as spacecraft Commander

play13:35

is Matthew Dominic who before his 2017

play13:38

induction into NASA served as a Navy

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Commander this Mission marks his

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inaugural journey into space offering

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him his first taste of space fight

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serving as the mission pilot is space

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fight veteran Michael Barrett who has

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already locked 21 days in orbit

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including two spacewalks notably he was

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a crew member of St s133 the final

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mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery

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this mission is his fourth voyage to

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space next is Janette EPS one of the two

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Mission Specialists who joined NASA with

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a PhD in aerospace engineering she was

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initially slated to join Expedition 56

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to the ISS in 2018 but was replaced just

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before launch for undisclosed reasons

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this Mission provides her with the long

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awaited opportunity to fulfill her dream

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of space flight bon voyage the second

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mission specialist slot is filled by Al

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alander gin as part of a collaborative

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agreement between NASA and Ros Cosmos to

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include at least one member from the

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others Agency on their flights renin who

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has a background in the Russian Air

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Force before joining the Cosmonaut Corp

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is making his first trip to space

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besides the crew the mission will

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transport cargo and supplies to the ISS

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including various experiments their stay

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aboard the station will be quite

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eventful not only are they expected to

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welcome the astronauts from on the

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starina crude flight test but also the

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newest resupply capsule from Sierra

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space the Dreamchaser with a launch

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scheduled for March first crew H should

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be en root to the ISS by the time you're

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watching this episode now space is

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mostly about building and launching

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satellites one constantly growing player

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in this industry is rocket lab let's

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take a look at what they've been up to

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as a publicly traded company they

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provide quarterly investor updates which

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are always filled to the brim with

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information regarding their future PL

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this time is no exception let's begin

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with their main focus the electron

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rocket in 2023 rocket lab launched 10

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times surpassing the previous record of

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nine launches set the year before the

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company has maintained this momentum

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into the current year with two launches

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already completed and two more planned

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for March given a launch failure last

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September which slowed them down for 2

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months I wouldn't be surprised if they

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will aim for 15 or more electron

play15:54

missions this year they definitely have

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a lot of payloads to launch as in 2023

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alone they secured contracts for 25

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missions 18 for electron and three for

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their suborbital vehicle haste it's

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basically electron with a modified kick

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stage the main focus for their rocket in

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2024 will definitely be reusability

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rocket lab has already demonstrated this

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capability by refly a rather for engine

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that was previously in space now they

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plan to launch an electron powered

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entirely by nine reused engines this

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Mission Could Happen really soon the

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ultimate goal is to reuse and entire

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booster the one recovered at the end of

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January is reportedly in such excellent

play16:33

conditions that rocket lab is

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considering launching it again however

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electron is just the beginning Peter has

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some big plans cooked up in New Zealand

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behind the scenes the company is also

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developing its medium lift rocket

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Neutron announced in 2021 Neutron wants

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to compete with space access Falcon in

play16:50

2023 the company showcased significant

play16:53

progress producing parts for fuel tanks

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and successfully completing a cryogenic

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test for the second second stage tank

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according to the presentation Peter

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Beck's company is already producing

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actual flight Hardware the booster's

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tank production line is nearing

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completion and moreover the flight

play17:09

capable version of the second stage is

play17:11

almost ready it will undergo extensive

play17:13

testing throughout the year additionally

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one of Neutron's most Innovative

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features the reusable hippo fairing

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along with the entire interstage is

play17:22

expected to be ready by the second

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quarter of 2024 finally the Archimedes

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engine which Powers the rocket saw its

play17:30

pre-burn tested with the engines for the

play17:32

inaugural flight already in production

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given Neutron's larger Dimensions rocket

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lab is building a brand new Launchpad

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lc3 at NASA's wups Flight Facility busy

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as a be foundation work has begun

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focusing primarily on essential

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infrastructure such as water tower

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propellant and gas storage ground

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support equipment tanks are anticipated

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to arrive by the end of the third

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quarter with a pad projected to be fully

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operational by the end of no November

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originally Neutron was scheduled to

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launch in 2024 while the company remains

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optimistic about meeting this timeline

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realistically they don't even have a

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single fully assembled engine yet it

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will be a miracle if the rocket makes it

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to the pad before the end of this year

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though I'd love to be proven wrong now

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some people may not know this but a

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significant chunk of Rocket lab's

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Revenue actually comes from satellite

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manufacturing the company recently

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scored an insane contract to build 18

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satellites for the space development

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agency a deal worth a whopping $515

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million they're also working on a

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constellation of 17 spacecraft for

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Global star designed to provide voice

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and internet connectivity around the

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world most of their satellites are

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utilizing a photon bus an advanced

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kickstage that doubles as a power and

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communication platform for customer

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payloads a very capable small spacecraft

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Photon played a crucial role in NASA's

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first emis mission known as Capstone and

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also was the base for varda's

play18:59

pharmaceutical manufacturing capsule

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additionally two photons are slated for

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NASA's Escapade Mission aimed at

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exploring Mars later this year despite

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having widely different goals and

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Designs all these satellites can

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basically be called a photon which can

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cause some confusion those two are

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unlike any spacecraft we've ever built

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before so we decided to call these um

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well phon this is why rocket lab decided

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to introduce a new naming scheme under

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the new classification Photon will

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continue to support smaller satellites

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launched aboard electron Pioneer can be

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used for Missions that require the

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capability to return payloads to Earth

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they can also be launched on different

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rockets for example Falcon 9 Explorer is

play19:43

designated for long duration missions to

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other planets at the same time lightning

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represents the largest class recommended

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for communication and imaging satellites

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that will stay in space for years

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potentially more than a decade it is

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great to see they finally did something

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something with the naming I cannot wait

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to see what else rocket lab will

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surprise us with in 2024 so far aside

play20:04

from Firefly it's the only small

play20:06

satellite launch company that can

play20:08

continue to grow hopefully one day

play20:10

becoming the second SpaceX that's it for

play20:13

today remember to smash that like button

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subscribe for more awesome content this

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is what fuels the algorithm and helps us

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immensely check out our epic shirts in

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your favorite space nerd store the link

play20:23

is in the description and if you want to

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this video next to continue your journey

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thank you very much for watching and

play20:31

I'll see you again in the next episode I

play20:36

new I have

play20:41

hypothesis

play20:43

algorithm sparking sparking sparking

play20:47

yeah you're sparking