SpaceX Has a BIG New Problem With Starship

Summary

SpaceX faces delays in its Starship launch program due to regulatory hurdles from the FAA and environmental agencies, pushing the next launch until at least November. While SpaceX claims bureaucratic delays are harming progress, the FAA insists the delays stem from new, unsubmitted data from SpaceX regarding environmental impacts and flight plans. Meanwhile, the Polaris Dawn mission, led by Jared Isaacman, made history with a record-breaking spacewalk at 700 km altitude, testing new EVA suits for future Mars and lunar missions. This mission marks a major milestone in private spaceflight, signaling the start of a new space race.

Takeaways

• 🚀 SpaceX's Starship launches are delayed due to regulatory hurdles from the FAA and EPA, with no launches expected before November.
• ⚖️ The delays stem from environmental and public safety concerns, with each side (SpaceX and regulatory bodies) blaming the other for setbacks.
• 📑 SpaceX expressed frustration in a blog post, stating that government paperwork is taking longer than rocket development.
• 🌍 Regulatory agencies are worried about environmental impacts, including potential damage to wildlife and marine life near the launch site.
• 🛠️ SpaceX is aiming to conduct a unique flight test, attempting to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it midair for the first time in history.
• 💥 Changes to the launch plan triggered additional regulatory reviews, including assessments of sonic booms and environmental risks.
• 💧 SpaceX faced fines for using their water deluge system without proper permits, though they argue their system uses clean drinking water.
• 🛰️ Despite delays with Starship, SpaceX achieved a milestone with the Polaris Dawn mission, where private citizens performed a spacewalk at 700 km altitude.
• 🧑‍🚀 The Polaris Dawn crew tested new SpaceX EVA suits designed for future Moon and Mars missions, marking significant advancements in private space exploration.
• 🌌 The mission also tested Starlink’s laser communications in space and gathered data on space radiation and zero gravity's impact on the human body.

Q & A

What is the primary issue delaying SpaceX's Starship launch?

The primary issue delaying the Starship launch is a clash between SpaceX and regulatory agencies like the FAA and EPA over environmental and safety concerns. SpaceX blames regulatory delays, while the FAA claims that SpaceX's changes to the flight profile require additional review.

What changes did SpaceX make that required additional regulatory review?

SpaceX made modifications to their Starship flight plan, including an attempt to return the super heavy booster to the launch site and catch it mid-air, which is a novel operation in rocketry history. These changes require new environmental assessments.

Why is SpaceX frustrated with the FAA and EPA?

SpaceX is frustrated because it claims that bureaucratic delays, specifically superfluous environmental analyses, are slowing down its launch schedule and threatening larger goals, including NASA's Artemis mission and SpaceX's Mars ambitions.

What are the FAA's main concerns regarding the Starship launch?

The FAA's concerns include the sonic boom generated by the super heavy booster, potential impact on local wildlife and coastal habitats, and the environmental effects of the water deluge system used at the launch site.

Has SpaceX been fined for environmental violations?

Yes, SpaceX has been fined by both Texas regulators and the EPA for operating their water deluge system without proper permits and for liquid oxygen discharge violations. The total fines amounted to around $150,000.

What is the significance of the Polaris Dawn mission?

The Polaris Dawn mission made history by performing the highest human spacewalk ever at 700 km above Earth, with a goal to test new SpaceX EVA suits. This mission pushes the boundaries of private space flight and gathers important data for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

What were the risks involved in the Polaris Dawn spacewalk?

The spacewalk was highly risky because the spacecraft had to be depressurized without an airlock, and the new EVA suits had never been tested in space. Hazards included tiny space debris, visor fogging, overheating, and the risk of failure during re-entry.

What technological advancements were tested during the Polaris Dawn mission?

The mission tested Starlink's laser communications in space, brand-new EVA suits, and studied the effects of space radiation and zero gravity on the human body, all of which are critical for future Moon and Mars exploration.

Why did the FAA request more time to review SpaceX's flight plan?

The FAA needed more time to assess the environmental impact of SpaceX's new flight profile, which includes the super heavy booster attempting a mid-air catch, a maneuver never tried before. The new profile also affects a larger area, requiring more detailed analysis.

What impact could the delays have on SpaceX's broader goals?

The delays could push back NASA's Artemis mission and slow SpaceX's progress toward making life multiplanetary, particularly with its goal of reaching Mars. SpaceX emphasizes that frequent flights are key to operationalizing the Starship system.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 SpaceX Faces Delays in Starship Launch Due to Regulatory Challenges

SpaceX is facing significant delays in launching its Starship, largely due to regulatory issues involving the FAA and the EPA. Initially expected to launch in September, the timeline has been pushed back to at least November. SpaceX blames excessive environmental reviews for the hold-up, arguing that these delays risk NASA's Artemis mission and SpaceX's goal of reaching Mars. The FAA countered that SpaceX altered its launch plans, necessitating further reviews. This regulatory back-and-forth highlights tensions between innovation and safety concerns, as SpaceX aims to streamline the approval process for faster launches.

05:01

🌍 Environmental and Safety Concerns Surrounding Starship’s Next Flight

SpaceX's next Starship flight faces scrutiny over potential environmental impacts, particularly regarding the super heavy booster’s return. Concerns include the sonic boom affecting wildlife, the risk of the booster crashing outside SpaceX property, and the location of debris splashdowns. Additionally, SpaceX’s water deluge system, meant to control heat and fire risks, has been criticized for potential mercury contamination, a claim SpaceX disputes. The FAA and other agencies are carefully reviewing these factors before approving the launch, further delaying the mission.

10:03

🧑‍🚀 Polaris Dawn Mission Breaks Records with Historic Spacewalk

The Polaris Dawn mission achieved a milestone when Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis conducted a spacewalk at a record altitude of 700 km, the farthest a human spacecraft has traveled since the Gemini program. The mission tested new SpaceX EVA suits, with safety and technology at the forefront, as the crew faced risks like space debris and suit malfunctions. The success of this spacewalk represents a significant step for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, while also advancing crucial technology for space exploration.

Keywords

💡SpaceX

SpaceX is a private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, known for its ambitious goals of making human life multiplanetary by reaching Mars. In the video, SpaceX faces regulatory challenges that are delaying its Starship launches, which are crucial for advancing both its own goals and NASA’s missions.

💡Starship

Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX designed for deep space missions, including Mars colonization. The video discusses delays in launching the Starship due to regulatory issues, highlighting its importance for future space exploration.

💡Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The FAA is a U.S. government agency responsible for regulating all aspects of civil aviation. In the video, the FAA is one of the agencies delaying SpaceX’s Starship flights due to environmental and safety concerns, leading to frustration on SpaceX's part.

💡Polaris Dawn

Polaris Dawn is a SpaceX mission that made history by sending private astronauts into space. The video emphasizes this mission’s success, particularly the spacewalk performed by private citizen Jared Isaacman, which showcases the advancement of private spaceflight.

💡Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA is a U.S. agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment. The video mentions the EPA's involvement in delaying SpaceX’s launches due to concerns about the environmental impact of large rocket launches, like the Starship's.

💡Flight test number five

This refers to the fifth integrated flight test of SpaceX's Starship. The video covers the delay of this test due to regulatory reviews, which is a point of contention between SpaceX and the FAA, as SpaceX had planned an ambitious flight involving a midair booster catch.

💡Sonic boom

A sonic boom is a loud noise caused by an object traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound. The video explains that one of the environmental concerns about SpaceX’s Starship launch is the sonic boom created by the returning booster, which could affect local wildlife and habitats.

💡Super Heavy booster

The Super Heavy booster is the first-stage rocket that powers Starship into space. In the video, SpaceX plans to attempt a midair catch of this booster during the delayed flight test, a highly ambitious operation that has never been done before.

💡Starlink laser communications

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite-based internet system. The video mentions that during the Polaris Dawn mission, the crew tested Starlink’s laser communications in space, a technology that could play a vital role in future space missions.

💡Spacewalk

A spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), is when an astronaut steps outside their spacecraft. In the video, Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis made history by conducting a spacewalk during the Polaris Dawn mission, testing new SpaceX EVA suits designed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Highlights

SpaceX's Starship launch delays are largely due to a conflict between regulatory agencies and SpaceX over environmental and safety concerns.

SpaceX claims that regulatory delays risk pushing back NASA's Artemis missions and SpaceX’s goals of making human life multiplanetary.

The FAA claims that SpaceX changed their flight plan for Starship’s next launch, requiring additional environmental reviews.

SpaceX's new flight test will attempt to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it midair, a first in rocket history.

The FAA and environmental agencies are concerned about the sonic boom and potential impact on local wildlife from the Super Heavy booster’s return.

Environmental concerns also focus on where the Super Heavy’s hot stage ring will splash down, potentially affecting marine life.

SpaceX faces scrutiny over its water deluge system, with media reports claiming it releases harmful mercury into the environment.

SpaceX was fined by Texas regulators and the EPA for operating the water deluge system without proper permits.

The Polaris Dawn mission made history with Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis performing the first private spacewalk at an altitude of 700 km.

Polaris Dawn set a record for the highest altitude a SpaceX Dragon capsule has traveled, reaching 1,400 km.

The spacewalk aimed to test brand new SpaceX EVA suits, critical for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

The Polaris Dawn crew tested Starlink’s laser communication system in space, gathering vital data for future space travel.

The mission also focused on studying space radiation and the effects of zero gravity on the human body.

The EVA was a brief but intense 16 minutes, with the crew tethered for safety and no airlock used during depressurization.

Polaris Dawn cracked open the door to future space exploration, pushing the boundaries of commercial spaceflight.

Transcripts

on today's episode SpaceX has some big

new problems this week but Polaris Dawn

definitely wasn't one of

them beginning at Star base where SpaceX

is not launching Starship to orbit this

month or next month or maybe not even

the month after that here's the Scoop

we've essentially got a Clash of the

Titan situation going on here in the

blue Corner Elon Musk and the space

exploration Technologies Corporation and

in the red tape corner it's the Federal

Aviation Administration and the

Environmental Protection Agency each

side is essentially blaming the other

for delaying starship's integrated

flight test number five something that

we had all expected would go forward

this month in September but now is

apparently delayed until at the very

least the end of November SpaceX was the

first to strike by venting their

frustrations in a blog post on September

10th and placing the blame for any

Starship delays squarely on regulatory

hurdles more specifically what they

label as Superfluous environmental

analysis which is some excellent use of

fancy language and I love to see it the

core argument made by SpaceX is that

every delay to Starship risks pushing

back NASA's emis Mission it also

threatens the United States leadership

in space and spacex's own ambitious

goals of making human life

multiplanetary by reaching the planet

Mars SpaceX writes quote our approach of

putting flight Hardware in the flight

environment as often as possible

maximizes the pace at which we can learn

recursively and operationalize the

system basically saying that Starship

needs to fly and it needs to fly often

or else nothing is going to get done

around here the company goes on to write

unfortunately we continue to be stuck in

a reality where it takes longer to do

the government paperwork to license a

rocket than it does to design and build

the actual Hardware but this is all a

bit more nuanced than just cutting

through bureaucracy the Federal Aviation

Administration the Environmental

Protection Agency and the US fish and

wildlife services are primarily

concerned about public safety and the

potential environmental impact of these

very large scale rocket launches their

mandate is not just to delay SpaceX and

for their part they've actually done a

lot over the years to enable progress

for the rocket maker who's probably

caused more explosions and Scattered

more Bri than any other private company

in the world outside of the arms

industry of course and the FAA had a bit

of an opportunity to refute these

allegations at the US Chamber of

Commerce Global Aerospace Summit which

was held on September 11th their

executive director of operational safety

Dan Murray said the schedule for the

next Starship launch is largely set by

the choices that the company makes

something he added is true for all

companies that seek launch licenses

those Chang changes include the scope of

the license they seek the timing of the

information they provide the

completeness of the application and if

the applicant changes information after

submitting the application in a separate

statement the FAA noted that the license

issued for starship's previous launch in

June allowed for multiple flights using

the same profile but SpaceX modified the

profile for their next launch and also

provided new information only in mid

August and this concerned how the

environmental impact of flight 5 will

cover a larger area than previously

reviewed thus requiring consultation

with the other agencies and this is a

point that SpaceX acknowledges in their

own statement writing the Starship and

super heavy vehicles for flight 5 have

been ready to launch since the first

week of August the flight test will

include our most ambitious objective yet

attempt to return the super heavy

booster to the launch site and catch it

in midair they then write this will be a

singularly novel operation in the

history of rocketry so let's break this

down when the FAA issued that launch

license for Starship flight number four

it came with the allowance that SpaceX

could rapidly repeat the same launch

profile multiple times in succession

which is exactly what the company claims

that they want to do and then

immediately after flight four they turn

around and say for our next mission

we're going to change things up

completely and try something that no one

else in history has ever even attempted

to which the FAA says wow okay but if

you're going to attempt a totally new

flight plan then we're going to need

some more info which SpaceX apparently

did not provide until about 1 month ago

and then based on that information a

decision was made by the FAA to

investigate and verify in collaboration

with the relevant agencies which could

take a period of 60 days to complete

some of the new considerations listed by

the federal a gency would include the

sonic boom generated by the super heavy

booster on its return to the launch site

what effect is that going to have on the

local Wildlife what happens if the

booster ends up crashing somewhere

outside of the SpaceX property there's a

coastal Beach nearby there are protected

wildlife habitats on either side of the

Launchpad there's the town of Port

Isabel that's not too terribly far away

there's also some question about the

location where super Heavy's hot stage

ring will Splash down into the ocean

if the booster is taking a different

flight path this time around to return

to Star base then that 10 ton chunk of

Steel that gets released into the air is

going to also be landing in a different

spot than before SpaceX says that this

produces no increase in likelihood for

impacting marine life but it also

appears that the FAA would prefer that

the national marine fisheries Services

double check those findings and then

there is the water Deluge system a piece

of Hardware that's been operational at

Starbase for over a year now but has

recently become the focus of what SpaceX

calls factually inaccurate reporting in

the media recently CNBC published an

article claiming that spacex's water

cooling system was releasing harmful

mercury into the environment SpaceX is

pushed back saying that their system

only uses clean drinking water and is

monitored closely with no harmful

contaminants found the company claims to

have cooperated with Texas Regulators to

ensure compliance with their water usage

we have yet to see this statement either

confirmed or denied by said Regulators

but we do know that in August the Texas

commission on Environmental Quality

levied a fine against SpaceX in the

amount of

$3,750 for operating its Launchpad water

delug system without the proper permits

so that doesn't quite add up it is a

negligible amount of money but it does

seem to counter The Narrative presented

by SpaceX this should not be confused

used with the

$148,300 fine recently imposed on SpaceX

by the EPA this ruling also noted a lack

of required water permits for each of

the seven water Deluge activations

between 2023 and 20124 plus one more

liquid oxygen discharge situation but

that was an isolated incident either way

it's still a negligible amount of money

for SpaceX but also another strike

against their whole permit narrative now

we do know that SpaceX has already

applied for the permit that they need to

prevent any more of these fines and

violations but we also know that they

didn't submit that application until

July 2024 so giving SpaceX the benefit

of the doubt it's possible that they

believed their activity was covered

under one of these generalized permits

and they just made a mistake or it's

also possible that they were provided

with bad information by someone at the

Texas regulator and simply misunderstood

the permitting process SpaceX also has

not provided any evidence about the

water contamination and mercury levels

only saying that there was a typo in

their original application which does

happen though I'd be curious to hear an

explanation as to why almost every other

metal reading on that sample is also

incredibly High not just the Mercury

anyway those are your two contenders I'm

not saying either side is right or wrong

they both appear to make some valid

points Point as far as I'm concerned I

don't think the super heavy is going to

create an ecological disaster I'd

probably drink the Starship Deluge water

if given the chance and I'm not terribly

concerned that the hot stage is going to

fall on a whale's head but I'm also an

idiot so I can't reasonably object to

having some people who actually know

what they're talking about come in and

double check this stuff just in case and

if SpaceX really wanted to launch

Starship again there's nothing stopping

them they could do it right now they're

pre-approved with the ship and booster

that they already have but they can't do

the catch attempt without going through

the process first a process that the

company appears to be dead set against

properly cooperating with so at some

point you've got to admit when you're

just shooting yourself in the

foot back at home we all have a lot of

work to do but from here the Earth sure

looks like a perfect world that's what

Jared isaacman said as he stepped into

the void becoming the first private

citizen to perform a spacewalk on

September 12 2024 the Polaris Dawn

Mission made history when isaacman and

aerospace engineer Sarah Gillis stepped

outside the dragon resilience spacecraft

at a jaw-dropping altitude of 700 km

almost double that of the International

Space Station this wasn't just a casual

stroll in space Polaris Dawn pushed to

the boundaries of private space flight

ISAC man's crew Sarah Gillis anaman and

kid potit took their spacecraft to a

record-breaking 1,400 km the farthest to

SpaceX Dragon capsule has ever traveled

this altitude shattered previous records

and was the highest a human spacecraft

has reached since the Gemini program but

the real goal testing brand new SpaceX

Eva suits that could one day take us to

the Moon Mars and Beyond these suits

could be the future of Space Explorers

and the risks they they were Skyhigh the

entire spacecraft had to be

depressurized using no air lock for

safety brand new suits that had never

been tested in the harsh conditions of

space before deadly tiny space debris

and even the threat of overheating in

the vacuum of space one wrong move and

things could have gone South fast even

visor fogging could turn a dangerous

situation into a disaster with only one

ASA having space flight experience and

none with spacewalk experience every

second was a test of Bravery in

endurance and technology and just

imagine for a moment if the hatch didn't

seal properly after their Eva the crew

would be exposed to the vacuum of space

on their way back relying solely on

their limited life support systems

risking catastrophic failure during

re-entry The Space Walk a short but

intense 16 minutes no fancy acrobatics

just gripping the Skywalker handles and

methodically testing the suits isaacman

emerged first with Gillis close behind

they were tethered the entire time this

wasn't for show it was about survival

and making sure that everything worked

as designed even opening the hatch was a

first for a commercial crew don't let

the Simplicity fool you this mission is

packed with some serious Tech

breakthroughs the crew tested starlinks

laser Communications in space and

studied how space radiation and zero

gravity affects the human body all

crucial data for future moon and Mars

missions this test just cracked open the

door to the Future the space race is

only just beginning and the stakes have

never been higher buckle up because

Adventure awaits