Starship soaring to orbit during Orbital test Flight 4 Image Credit: SpaceX
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has informed SpaceX that it won't approve a launch license for the next test flight of the Starship rocket until at least late November, more than two months later than the previously targeted mid-September timeframe. This delay has sparked frustration within SpaceX, which claims that the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage for the next launch have been ready to launch since the first week of August.
SpaceX's Frustration with Regulatory Delays
SpaceX expressed frustration with the delays, citing "unreasonable and exasperating reasons" for the holdup. The company attributed the delays to "false and misleading reporting" and "bad-faith hysterics" from online detractors and special interest groups. SpaceX also criticized the FAA's slow processing of launch license applications, citing bureaucratic sluggishness, lack of transparency, poor methodologies, and regulatory inefficiency and duplication.
Environmental Concerns and Regulatory Hurdles
The FAA's delay is attributed to environmental concerns and regulatory hurdles. One of the environmental issues involves SpaceX's discharge of water into the environment around the Starship launch pad in Texas. The pad uses water to cool a steel flame deflector that sits under the 33 main engines of Starship's Super Heavy booster. SpaceX claims that fines levied against it this year by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency were "entirely tied to disagreements over paperwork" and not any dumping of pollutants in water from the launch pad into the environment around the Starship launch site.
Artist's rendition of SpaceX's Super Heavy booster being caught by the giant arms of ‘ Mechazilla’ Image Credit: SpaceX
Upcoming Test Flight and Technological Advancements
The next Starship test flight will attempt to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it in mid-air, a first for SpaceX. This technological advancement aims to enable the reuse of the booster, reducing the cost of access to space. SpaceX has been upgrading the launch pad structure to enable the catch, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize chances of success.
Additional Details
- SpaceX has implemented extensive mitigations to protect birds near Starbase, including monitoring programs and safeguards.
- The company has paid fines related to environmental concerns to focus on completing its missions.
- SpaceX has expressed frustration with the delays, stating that they are not based on new safety concerns but rather driven by unnecessary environmental analysis.
National Security and Foreign Policy Interests
The FAA is also responsible for ensuring commercial launch and reentry operations adhere to national security and foreign policy interests. SpaceX officials have raised concerns that delays in Starship test flights could impact national goals, such as returning astronauts to the Moon for NASA's Artemis program. NASA has selected SpaceX's Starship vehicle as the human-rated lander to ferry astronauts between lunar orbit and the Moon's south pole for the first two Artemis crew landings, expected later this decade.
Priority and Resources
The FAA's workload for reviewing launch license applications has grown significantly, leading some analysts to suggest prioritizing license applications for nationally important programs like Artemis. The FAA has committed to supporting the industry and nation in achieving these goals, with Kelvin Coleman, the FAA's associate administrator for space transportation, stating that the agency is looking for additional staffing to keep pace with demand.
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