SpaceX
Re: SpaceX
Only 63 - got off quite lightly, then......................
Re: SpaceX
Waiting for Elon's weasley response.
PP
PP
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OneHungLow
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Re: SpaceX
As noted before...
Aerospace Digest <news@enews.aviationweek.com>
Aerospace Digest <news@enews.aviationweek.com>
Recursion, a procedure or function that repeatedly calls itself while passing the ensuing dataset down the stack. All well and good if the procedure itself, is proven and works correctly! A good way to spread chaos if not proven and correctly operating.SpaceX has been ordered to implement 63 corrective actions to resume flight testing of its Starship Super Heavy launch system following a debut liftoff mishap that left the launchpad deck foundation shattered.
The Super Heavy booster also failed in flight, triggering the rocket’s automated flight-termination system, which did not activate immediately to break up the wayward vehicle. The launch took place on April 20 at SpaceX’s Starship base of operations in Boca Chica Beach, Texas.
The FAA, which oversees commercial spaceflight by U.S. companies, said on Sept. 8 that it had completed its review of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation and ordered 63 corrective actions.
“These included actions to address redesigns of vehicle hardware to prevent leaks and fires, redesign of the launchpad to increase its robustness, incorporation of additional reviews in the design process, additional analysis and testing of safety-critical systems and components including the Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS), and the application of additional change control practices,” the FAA says in a letter to SpaceX dated Sept. 7.
In addition to meeting the FAA’s requirements, SpaceX is facing a lawsuit filed by environmental groups after widespread debris blanketed some of the surrounding communities during the launch.
“The FAA’s closure of the mishap investigation does not predetermine the results of any ongoing or future environmental reviews associated with Starship operations at Boca Chica,” writes Marcus Ward, the FAA’s Safety Assurance Division manager, in the letter to SpaceX.
In a Sept. 8 update on its website, SpaceX says during ascent, the vehicle sustained fires from leaking propellant in the aft end of the Super Heavy booster, which eventually severed connection with the vehicle’s primary flight computer.
“This led to a loss of communications to the majority of booster engines and, ultimately, control of the vehicle. SpaceX since has implemented leak mitigations and improved testing on both engine and booster hardware. As an additional corrective action, SpaceX has significantly expanded Super Heavy’s preexisting fire-suppression system in order to mitigate against future engine bay fires,” the company says.
To address the AFSS delay, SpaceX says it has enhanced and requalified the system to improve reliability.
Unrelated to issues from the first flight, the company says it is implementing system-performance upgrades such as a hot-stage separation system. It is designed to have the Starship’s second-stage engines ignite while the Super Heavy core stage is still firing, to push the ship away from the booster.
The company is also introducing a fully electric thrust-vector control system for the Super Heavy Raptor engines. The system has “fewer potential points of failure and is significantly more energy efficient than traditional hydraulic systems,” SpaceX says.
SpaceX has already rebuilt and tested an upgraded orbital launch mount-and-pad system that includes reinforcements to the pad foundation and the addition of a flame deflector.
“We learned a tremendous amount about the vehicle and ground systems during Starship’s first flight test,” SpaceX says. “Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable launch system capable of carrying satellites, payloads, crew and cargo to a variety of orbits and Earth, lunar or Martian landing sites.”
The observer of fools in military south and north...
Re: SpaceX
FAA says it may grant a launch license for SpaceX’s Starship by the end of October
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/14/world/sp ... index.html
CNN
—
The Federal Aviation Administration says it is “optimistic” that it could allow SpaceX to launch its mega rocket, Starship, by the end of October.
Starship has been grounded since its inaugural test flight in April ended when the rocket — the most powerful launch vehicle ever built — exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.
Last week, the FAA said it had completed its safety investigation into the explosion and laid out 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to obtain a launch license from the agency.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on social media on Sunday that the company had completed and documented 57 “required” actions out of a list of 63. (“Worth noting that 6 of the 63 items refer to later flights,” Musk said.)
He also has posted pictures of the rocket fully stacked and ready on the launchpad, which lies due east of Brownsville, Texas, on the state’s southernmost tip.
The FAA said the corrective actions also must pass an environmental review.
Starship’s spring test launch damaged the launchpad and started a 3.5-acre fire on Boca Chica State Park land, renewing environmental concerns about SpaceX’s presence in the area.
“The modifications SpaceX is making to (the) Starship program are also subject to an additional environmental review process. In August, as part of the environmental process, the FAA submitted a draft update of the Biological Assessment to U.S. Fish and Wildlife for review and requested consultation under the Endangered Species Act,” the agency said in a statement to CNN.
The statement indicated that the FAA’s review could be done by next month.
“The FAA is optimistic it may complete the safety review of the license application by the end of October,” the agency said.
What’s riding on Starship’s success
The FAA’s statement comes nearly five months after the Starship exploded in the rocket’s first test flight. The vehicle lifted off from SpaceX’s sprawling Starbase facilities in Texas but erupted into flames about four minutes later. The company blamed the outcome, which it called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” on multiple engine failures.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service assessed the fallout from the launch and said it included “large concrete chunks, stainless steel sheets, metal and other objects hurled thousands of feet away, along with a plume cloud of pulverized concrete that deposited material up to 6.5 miles northwest of the pad site,” according to a statement from the agency.
Environmental groups sue FAA for SpaceX launch that exploded in April
Starship, which packs more power than even the Saturn V rockets NASA used for the Apollo moon landings, is essential to future deep-space exploration projects at the heart of goals that both NASA and SpaceX have set.
The space agency plans to use Starship to land its astronauts on the surface of the moon for the first time in half a century. That mission, called Artemis III, is scheduled to lift off as soon as December 2025. But officials are already questioning whether Starship will be ready in time.
“With the difficulties that SpaceX has had, I think that’s really concerning,” said Jim Free, associate administrator of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, in June. “You can think about that launch date slipping probably into ’26.”
Separately, SpaceX has pinned its founding mission — to send humans to Mars for the first time — on Starship’s success. Musk has talked about plans for the vehicle in presentations for nearly a decade.
SpaceX completed several suborbital test flights of the upper portion of Starship before making its first attempt to get the spacecraft off the ground riding atop its rocket booster, dubbed Super Heavy.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/14/world/sp ... index.html
CNN
—
The Federal Aviation Administration says it is “optimistic” that it could allow SpaceX to launch its mega rocket, Starship, by the end of October.
Starship has been grounded since its inaugural test flight in April ended when the rocket — the most powerful launch vehicle ever built — exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.
Last week, the FAA said it had completed its safety investigation into the explosion and laid out 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to obtain a launch license from the agency.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on social media on Sunday that the company had completed and documented 57 “required” actions out of a list of 63. (“Worth noting that 6 of the 63 items refer to later flights,” Musk said.)
He also has posted pictures of the rocket fully stacked and ready on the launchpad, which lies due east of Brownsville, Texas, on the state’s southernmost tip.
The FAA said the corrective actions also must pass an environmental review.
Starship’s spring test launch damaged the launchpad and started a 3.5-acre fire on Boca Chica State Park land, renewing environmental concerns about SpaceX’s presence in the area.
“The modifications SpaceX is making to (the) Starship program are also subject to an additional environmental review process. In August, as part of the environmental process, the FAA submitted a draft update of the Biological Assessment to U.S. Fish and Wildlife for review and requested consultation under the Endangered Species Act,” the agency said in a statement to CNN.
The statement indicated that the FAA’s review could be done by next month.
“The FAA is optimistic it may complete the safety review of the license application by the end of October,” the agency said.
What’s riding on Starship’s success
The FAA’s statement comes nearly five months after the Starship exploded in the rocket’s first test flight. The vehicle lifted off from SpaceX’s sprawling Starbase facilities in Texas but erupted into flames about four minutes later. The company blamed the outcome, which it called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” on multiple engine failures.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service assessed the fallout from the launch and said it included “large concrete chunks, stainless steel sheets, metal and other objects hurled thousands of feet away, along with a plume cloud of pulverized concrete that deposited material up to 6.5 miles northwest of the pad site,” according to a statement from the agency.
Environmental groups sue FAA for SpaceX launch that exploded in April
Starship, which packs more power than even the Saturn V rockets NASA used for the Apollo moon landings, is essential to future deep-space exploration projects at the heart of goals that both NASA and SpaceX have set.
The space agency plans to use Starship to land its astronauts on the surface of the moon for the first time in half a century. That mission, called Artemis III, is scheduled to lift off as soon as December 2025. But officials are already questioning whether Starship will be ready in time.
“With the difficulties that SpaceX has had, I think that’s really concerning,” said Jim Free, associate administrator of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, in June. “You can think about that launch date slipping probably into ’26.”
Separately, SpaceX has pinned its founding mission — to send humans to Mars for the first time — on Starship’s success. Musk has talked about plans for the vehicle in presentations for nearly a decade.
SpaceX completed several suborbital test flights of the upper portion of Starship before making its first attempt to get the spacecraft off the ground riding atop its rocket booster, dubbed Super Heavy.
PP
Re: SpaceX
I think I'll cancel this month's Popcorn order.
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX fires back at FAA report suggesting its Starlink internet constellation could be deadly
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/10/world/sp ... index.html
SpaceX is asking federal regulators to correct a report that suggests the company’s Starlink satellite constellation could pose grave risks to people on Earth.
The report was delivered to members of Congress by the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses the launch and reentry of commercial spacecraft, on October 5.
The 35-page analysis, compiled in part by the nonprofit research group The Aerospace Corporation, offers a dire picture of the potential dangers associated with large networks of satellites such as Starlink, suggesting that by 2035, “if the expected large constellation growth is realized and debris from Starlink satellites survive reentry … one person on the planet would be expected to be injured or killed every two years.”
It also estimates that the probability of an aircraft being downed by a collision with falling space debris could be 0.0007 per year by 2035.
SpaceX slammed the report’s conclusions in a letter dated October 9, calling the claims regarding risk of injury and death associated with Starlink “preposterous, unjustified, and inaccurate.”
The company’s letter, obtained by CNN, states that the report relied “on a deeply flawed analysis that falsely characterizes reentry disposal risks associated with Starlink.” SpaceX also accused the Aerospace Corporation of failing to reach out to SpaceX for information and not including the company’s own analysis and reports regarding Starlink satellite disposal.
“To be clear, SpaceX’s satellites are designed and built to fully demise during atmospheric reentry during disposal at end of life, and they do so,” according to SpaceX’s letter.
The letter also states that 325 Starlink satellites have already deorbited since February 2020, and no debris has been found.
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, the Aerospace Corporation said, “Our technical team is in communication with SpaceX and others to review and update the data.”
The research group said it was approached by the FAA more than two years ago “to do an independent assessment of collective risks associated with satellite re-entry, based upon the projection of all planned operators under U.S. regulation in 2021,” according to the statement. “The data included existing and planned constellations through 2035. The greatest percentage of satellites were those in Low Earth Orbit.”
‘A significant risk over time’
The FAA analysis does acknowledge that SpaceX says its Starlink satellites fully burn up in the atmosphere when they fall back to Earth at the end of service, posing no increased risk of striking people, airplanes or infrastructure. And the report acknowledges that the Federal Communications Commission, which authorizes satellite operators, accepted that assessment.
But The Aerospace Corporation “assessed that the SpaceX spacecraft could each produce three pieces of debris of 300 grams. For purposes of this report, the FAA uses the more conservative approach,” according to the document.
Project Kuiper, Amazon's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband initiative, is preparing to put its first two satellites into space during its "Protoflight" mission.
Amazon launches first Project Kuiper satellites with goal of creating a megaconstellation
It also noted that “with the thousands of satellites expected to reenter, even a small amount of debris can impose a significant risk over time.”
SpaceX refuted that claim, stating that the assessment relied on “egregious errors, omissions and incorrect assumptions.” The company said the statistics were based on a 23-year-old NASA study about satellites developed by a different satellite operator, Iridium, and was never intended to be used for risk assessment purposes.
SpaceX in its letter also criticized the report for focusing “only on Starlink, disregarding other satellite systems like Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb, or any of the LEO systems being developed and deployed by China.” (Emphasis added by SpaceX.)
Starlink is mentioned 28 times in the FAA report, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper system is mentioned four times in data tables. The analysis also states that by 2035, SpaceX’s satellites will account for “85 percent of the expected risk to people on the ground and aviation.”
When reached for comment Tuesday, the FAA replied that it is “reviewing the letter.” The four members of Congress who received the original report did not immediately provide a comment.
The report was crafted for Congress in response to a 2020 statutory requirement that the FAA look into how — in its regulatory capacity — it might address safety risks associated with launch and reentry.
The FAA states in the report that even if the agency “amended its regulations through rulemaking, the FAA’s requirements would fall short of addressing all reentry risks to people on the ground or in aircraft since the FAA’s authority does not extend to payloads launched from outside the United States.”
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/10/world/sp ... index.html
SpaceX is asking federal regulators to correct a report that suggests the company’s Starlink satellite constellation could pose grave risks to people on Earth.
The report was delivered to members of Congress by the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses the launch and reentry of commercial spacecraft, on October 5.
The 35-page analysis, compiled in part by the nonprofit research group The Aerospace Corporation, offers a dire picture of the potential dangers associated with large networks of satellites such as Starlink, suggesting that by 2035, “if the expected large constellation growth is realized and debris from Starlink satellites survive reentry … one person on the planet would be expected to be injured or killed every two years.”
It also estimates that the probability of an aircraft being downed by a collision with falling space debris could be 0.0007 per year by 2035.
SpaceX slammed the report’s conclusions in a letter dated October 9, calling the claims regarding risk of injury and death associated with Starlink “preposterous, unjustified, and inaccurate.”
The company’s letter, obtained by CNN, states that the report relied “on a deeply flawed analysis that falsely characterizes reentry disposal risks associated with Starlink.” SpaceX also accused the Aerospace Corporation of failing to reach out to SpaceX for information and not including the company’s own analysis and reports regarding Starlink satellite disposal.
“To be clear, SpaceX’s satellites are designed and built to fully demise during atmospheric reentry during disposal at end of life, and they do so,” according to SpaceX’s letter.
The letter also states that 325 Starlink satellites have already deorbited since February 2020, and no debris has been found.
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, the Aerospace Corporation said, “Our technical team is in communication with SpaceX and others to review and update the data.”
The research group said it was approached by the FAA more than two years ago “to do an independent assessment of collective risks associated with satellite re-entry, based upon the projection of all planned operators under U.S. regulation in 2021,” according to the statement. “The data included existing and planned constellations through 2035. The greatest percentage of satellites were those in Low Earth Orbit.”
‘A significant risk over time’
The FAA analysis does acknowledge that SpaceX says its Starlink satellites fully burn up in the atmosphere when they fall back to Earth at the end of service, posing no increased risk of striking people, airplanes or infrastructure. And the report acknowledges that the Federal Communications Commission, which authorizes satellite operators, accepted that assessment.
But The Aerospace Corporation “assessed that the SpaceX spacecraft could each produce three pieces of debris of 300 grams. For purposes of this report, the FAA uses the more conservative approach,” according to the document.
Project Kuiper, Amazon's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband initiative, is preparing to put its first two satellites into space during its "Protoflight" mission.
Amazon launches first Project Kuiper satellites with goal of creating a megaconstellation
It also noted that “with the thousands of satellites expected to reenter, even a small amount of debris can impose a significant risk over time.”
SpaceX refuted that claim, stating that the assessment relied on “egregious errors, omissions and incorrect assumptions.” The company said the statistics were based on a 23-year-old NASA study about satellites developed by a different satellite operator, Iridium, and was never intended to be used for risk assessment purposes.
SpaceX in its letter also criticized the report for focusing “only on Starlink, disregarding other satellite systems like Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb, or any of the LEO systems being developed and deployed by China.” (Emphasis added by SpaceX.)
Starlink is mentioned 28 times in the FAA report, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper system is mentioned four times in data tables. The analysis also states that by 2035, SpaceX’s satellites will account for “85 percent of the expected risk to people on the ground and aviation.”
When reached for comment Tuesday, the FAA replied that it is “reviewing the letter.” The four members of Congress who received the original report did not immediately provide a comment.
The report was crafted for Congress in response to a 2020 statutory requirement that the FAA look into how — in its regulatory capacity — it might address safety risks associated with launch and reentry.
The FAA states in the report that even if the agency “amended its regulations through rulemaking, the FAA’s requirements would fall short of addressing all reentry risks to people on the ground or in aircraft since the FAA’s authority does not extend to payloads launched from outside the United States.”
PP
Re: SpaceX
NASA's Psyche spacecraft launches on first mission ever to a metal-rich asteroid
Scientists are keen to investigate the asteroid because it could help them answer some of the enduring mysteries about how the solar system came to be.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/n ... rcna120194
A NASA probe launched into space Friday on a 2.2-billion-mile journey to a huge, metal-rich space rock in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The Psyche spacecraft lifted off atop one of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rockets at 10:19 a.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The probe will now spend years traveling into deep space en route to an asteroid also named Psyche, which may have once been part of the core of a “planetesimal,” a type of small celestial body that is a crucial building block of rocky planets in our solar system.
The mission is the first to study a metal-rich space rock up close. Scientists are keen to investigate the asteroid Psyche because it could help them answer some of the enduring mysteries about how the solar system came to be.
When the spacecraft arrives at the asteroid in 2029, its onboard instruments will examine its chemical makeup, study its mineral composition and scour for evidence of an ancient magnetic field.
“Brace yourself for the mind-blowing revelations it will bring about planetary formation and the birth of rocky planets like our beloved Earth,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Once it arrives in 2029, the spacecraft will orbit the metal-rich asteroid for 26 months while it conducts its science investigation.NASA
Using Earth-based radar and optical telescopes, scientists think the asteroid Psyche was part of the core of a rocky celestial body that never formed into a planet. The asteroid, which is about as wide as Massachusetts, may have smashed into other objects early in its formation, causing it to lose its outer rocky shell, according to NASA.
Agency officials have said that the Psyche mission could give researchers a unique opportunity to learn more about the chaotic and violent origins of the solar system, including how planets like Earth were created.
This week, NASA also unveiled newly retrieved samples from a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid that contain intriguing traces of carbon and water, findings that could yield insights into how the solar system formed and how life started on Earth.
PP
Scientists are keen to investigate the asteroid because it could help them answer some of the enduring mysteries about how the solar system came to be.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/n ... rcna120194
A NASA probe launched into space Friday on a 2.2-billion-mile journey to a huge, metal-rich space rock in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The Psyche spacecraft lifted off atop one of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rockets at 10:19 a.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The probe will now spend years traveling into deep space en route to an asteroid also named Psyche, which may have once been part of the core of a “planetesimal,” a type of small celestial body that is a crucial building block of rocky planets in our solar system.
The mission is the first to study a metal-rich space rock up close. Scientists are keen to investigate the asteroid Psyche because it could help them answer some of the enduring mysteries about how the solar system came to be.
When the spacecraft arrives at the asteroid in 2029, its onboard instruments will examine its chemical makeup, study its mineral composition and scour for evidence of an ancient magnetic field.
“Brace yourself for the mind-blowing revelations it will bring about planetary formation and the birth of rocky planets like our beloved Earth,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Once it arrives in 2029, the spacecraft will orbit the metal-rich asteroid for 26 months while it conducts its science investigation.NASA
Using Earth-based radar and optical telescopes, scientists think the asteroid Psyche was part of the core of a rocky celestial body that never formed into a planet. The asteroid, which is about as wide as Massachusetts, may have smashed into other objects early in its formation, causing it to lose its outer rocky shell, according to NASA.
Agency officials have said that the Psyche mission could give researchers a unique opportunity to learn more about the chaotic and violent origins of the solar system, including how planets like Earth were created.
This week, NASA also unveiled newly retrieved samples from a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid that contain intriguing traces of carbon and water, findings that could yield insights into how the solar system formed and how life started on Earth.
PP
Re: SpaceX
A launch could be close.
Re: SpaceX
Nov 13th is looking possible. A few gaps in the approvals still to fill, though.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7167
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7167
Re: SpaceX
Earliest now 15/10
Primary Date November 13, 2023 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closure Revoked. HWY 4 and Boca Chica Beach will be open
Alternative Date November 14, 2023 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closure Revoked. HWY 4 and Boca Chica Beach will be open
Alternative Date November 15, 2023 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Possible Closure
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX says its 2nd Starship test flight could launch on Nov. 17 (video)
By Tariq Malik published 2 days ago
"Assuming regulatory approval," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-l ... SmartBrief
SpaceX's next Starship test launch could lift off as early as Nov. 17, pending regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.
The potential launch from SpaceX's Starbase test site at Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville, Texas will mark the company's second test flight of an orbital class Starship and Super Heavy booster — the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. SpaceX launched its first Starship test flight in April, but it exploded shortly after liftoff.
"Starship preparing to launch as early as November 17, pending final regulatory approval," SpaceX wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Friday (Nov. 10).
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk added that whether or not Starship launches this month hinges on government approval for the test flight.
"Assuming regulatory approval," Musk wrote on X in response to SpaceX's announcement.
The Starship and Super Heavy launch system is the world's tallest and most powerful rocket. It stands nearly 400 feet tall (121 meters), has a touted lift capacity of 165 tons (150 metric tons) and is designed to be fully reusable. SpaceX aims to use Starship as a workhorse heavy-lift launcher, as well as for deep space missions and has already sold flights around the moon to space tourists. NASA also plans to use the Starship rocket to land Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon.
But first, Starship and its booster must prove they are ready for orbital flight. That's where the upcoming test flight comes in.
SpaceX launched its first full Starship test flight on April 20, but the rocket suffered a stage separation failure, the loss of several of its 33 first-stage Raptor engines and other issues. As a result, SpaceX intentionally detonated the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico a few minutes after liftoff.
For the upcoming test flight, SpaceX has modified the stage separation process to use a new hot-staging process in which the upper stage will fire its engines while still attached to its Super Heavy first stage. SpaceX engineers have developed a new vent system for that process as well, which the company showed off in a new video shared on X and YouTube.
The second flight will likely follow the same plan as the first test, with SpaceX launching toward a target splashdown site off the coast of Hawaii to test reentry and landing techniques, while the Super Heavy booster makes a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Starship's first flight test provided numerous lessons learned that directly contributed to several upgrades to both the vehicle and ground infrastructure to improve the probability of success on future flights," SpaceX wrote in a mission overview. "The second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system and a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines, in addition to reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements."
SpaceX has built a new water deluge system to protect its orbital launch pad and the Starship rocket from the immense power of the first-stage booster's 33 Raptor engines. During the test flight on April 20, the booster's engine plume carved a huge crater beneath the launch pad, kicking up debris and chunks of concrete that fell back onto the Starbase facility and surrounding area.
That water deluge system is under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to understand the environmental impact it may have on the animal and plant life living in the Boca Chica Wildlife Refuge surrounding SpaceX's Starbase facility.
"The FAA is continuing to work on the environmental review," the agency wrote on Oct. 31 in an emailed statement. "As part of its environmental review, the FAA is consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on an updated Biological Assessment under the Endangered Species Act. The FAA and the USFWS must complete this consultation before the environmental review portion of the license evaluation is completed."
SpaceX has launched a website for its Starship Second Flight Test, as it does for each mission, and will share a live webcast on the page on Nov. 17 — if the launch does indeed occur on that date — beginning about 30 minutes before liftoff.
PP
By Tariq Malik published 2 days ago
"Assuming regulatory approval," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-l ... SmartBrief
SpaceX's next Starship test launch could lift off as early as Nov. 17, pending regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.
The potential launch from SpaceX's Starbase test site at Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville, Texas will mark the company's second test flight of an orbital class Starship and Super Heavy booster — the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. SpaceX launched its first Starship test flight in April, but it exploded shortly after liftoff.
"Starship preparing to launch as early as November 17, pending final regulatory approval," SpaceX wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Friday (Nov. 10).
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk added that whether or not Starship launches this month hinges on government approval for the test flight.
"Assuming regulatory approval," Musk wrote on X in response to SpaceX's announcement.
The Starship and Super Heavy launch system is the world's tallest and most powerful rocket. It stands nearly 400 feet tall (121 meters), has a touted lift capacity of 165 tons (150 metric tons) and is designed to be fully reusable. SpaceX aims to use Starship as a workhorse heavy-lift launcher, as well as for deep space missions and has already sold flights around the moon to space tourists. NASA also plans to use the Starship rocket to land Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon.
But first, Starship and its booster must prove they are ready for orbital flight. That's where the upcoming test flight comes in.
SpaceX launched its first full Starship test flight on April 20, but the rocket suffered a stage separation failure, the loss of several of its 33 first-stage Raptor engines and other issues. As a result, SpaceX intentionally detonated the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico a few minutes after liftoff.
For the upcoming test flight, SpaceX has modified the stage separation process to use a new hot-staging process in which the upper stage will fire its engines while still attached to its Super Heavy first stage. SpaceX engineers have developed a new vent system for that process as well, which the company showed off in a new video shared on X and YouTube.
The second flight will likely follow the same plan as the first test, with SpaceX launching toward a target splashdown site off the coast of Hawaii to test reentry and landing techniques, while the Super Heavy booster makes a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Starship's first flight test provided numerous lessons learned that directly contributed to several upgrades to both the vehicle and ground infrastructure to improve the probability of success on future flights," SpaceX wrote in a mission overview. "The second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system and a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines, in addition to reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements."
SpaceX has built a new water deluge system to protect its orbital launch pad and the Starship rocket from the immense power of the first-stage booster's 33 Raptor engines. During the test flight on April 20, the booster's engine plume carved a huge crater beneath the launch pad, kicking up debris and chunks of concrete that fell back onto the Starbase facility and surrounding area.
That water deluge system is under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to understand the environmental impact it may have on the animal and plant life living in the Boca Chica Wildlife Refuge surrounding SpaceX's Starbase facility.
"The FAA is continuing to work on the environmental review," the agency wrote on Oct. 31 in an emailed statement. "As part of its environmental review, the FAA is consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on an updated Biological Assessment under the Endangered Species Act. The FAA and the USFWS must complete this consultation before the environmental review portion of the license evaluation is completed."
SpaceX has launched a website for its Starship Second Flight Test, as it does for each mission, and will share a live webcast on the page on Nov. 17 — if the launch does indeed occur on that date — beginning about 30 minutes before liftoff.
PP
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX clears final hurdle for second Starship test flight
The Federal Aviation Administration granted the company a launch license that had been held up after its initial test ended in a fiery explosion.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/s ... rcna125333
SpaceX has received clearance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to launch its huge Starship rocket on a much-anticipated second test flight.
The agency granted SpaceX a launch license for the company's next-generation rocket on Wednesday, after a first launch attempt in April ended in a fiery explosion.
“The FAA has given license authorization for the second launch of the @SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,” the FAA said in a statement on the social media platform X.
SpaceX said Wednesday that the company is aiming to conduct the test flight on Friday, during a two-hour launch window that opens at 8 a.m. ET.
The Starship rocket, which stands nearly 400 feet tall, is designed for future missions to the moon and Mars.
PP
The Federal Aviation Administration granted the company a launch license that had been held up after its initial test ended in a fiery explosion.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/s ... rcna125333
SpaceX has received clearance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to launch its huge Starship rocket on a much-anticipated second test flight.
The agency granted SpaceX a launch license for the company's next-generation rocket on Wednesday, after a first launch attempt in April ended in a fiery explosion.
“The FAA has given license authorization for the second launch of the @SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,” the FAA said in a statement on the social media platform X.
SpaceX said Wednesday that the company is aiming to conduct the test flight on Friday, during a two-hour launch window that opens at 8 a.m. ET.
The Starship rocket, which stands nearly 400 feet tall, is designed for future missions to the moon and Mars.
PP
Re: SpaceX
Article with more depth.
SpaceX gets regulatory approval for megarocket, setting up Friday launch attempt
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/15/world/sp ... index.html
Federal regulators have granted SpaceX permission to launch a long-awaited second test flight of its Starship system — the most powerful rocket ever built — following an explosive first attempt in April.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, said Wednesday that SpaceX has permission to launch the mission after the agency determined it “met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.”
SpaceX’s website states that the company is targeting a two-hour launch window on Friday, November 17, that opens at 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET).
Public notices issued to mariners indicate that backup opportunities for liftoff could include the mornings of November 18, 19 and 20.
The Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster are at the center of SpaceX’s plans to eventually put humans on Mars, as well as aid NASA’s effort to return humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Starship is intended to serve as the lunar lander for the Artemis III mission, currently slated for 2025. And if the test flight once again fails, it could bog down NASA’s lunar exploration timeline.
April’s inaugural integrated test flight of Starship and Super Heavy — the massive rocket expected to propel the spacecraft to orbital speeds — ended just minutes after takeoff when the vehicle began tumbling tail-over-head, forcing SpaceX to initiate self-destruct mode and explode both rocket stages over the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX has spent the past several months rebuilding the launch site and making upgrades to the rocket system at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The launchpad was torn to pieces by the sheer force of Super Heavy’s engines igniting, sending debris into the surrounding coastal area.
SpaceX slams regulatory ‘headwinds’ for holding up Starship, risking US dominance in space
The rocket mishap’s potential impacts galvanized a group of environmental and wildlife advocates to file a May lawsuit againt the FAA, claiming the agency had failed to comply with federal environmental laws when it greenlit Starship’s first test flight.
William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX vice president for build and reliability, faulted regulators for holding up the second test flight, saying at a mid-October US Senate hearing, “It’s a shame when our hardware is ready to fly, and we’re not able to go fly because of regulations or review.”
The FAA finished its safety investigation in September, laying out 63 corrective actions for SpaceX. The agency then completed a safety review on October 31 for SpaceX’s planned second test flight.
However, as part of its environmental review, the FAA set up a consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. That process concluded on November 14, according to a statement from the agency, allowing FAA to issue the launch permit.
Now, SpaceX is set for another attempt to propel Starship off the launchpad and send it on a mission to complete nearly one full lap of Earth.
Starship challenges
If the test mission once again fails, NASA’s aim to return humans to the moon’s surface could face delays as the space agency is racing other nations — including China — to build a permanent lunar settlement. The space agency has already warned that Starship might not be ready in time for a 2025 moon landing attempt.
Even if successful, SpaceX still has numerous technological hurdles to clear. The company must demonstrate the rocket can safely deliver a satellite or another payload to Earth’s orbit, as well as dock with a refueling tanker to top off its propellant while in orbit — a move that will be essential for getting the massive vehicle to the moon.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted in August on social media that he foresees about a “50% probability of reaching orbital velocity,” though he cautiously added that “even getting to stage separation would be a win,” referring to the launch phase when the Super Heavy rocket detaches from the Starship spacecraft.
Environmental concerns
SpaceX posted images and video of Starship on the launch pad on Tuesday, September 5.
FAA closes investigation into SpaceX Starship rocket that exploded
SpaceX may also face additional pushback from environmentalists ahead of — or in the wake of — the second launch attempt.
The group of environmental and wildlife advocates that previously sued the FAA could still attempt to seek an injunction to stop the next launch.
When reached for comment, Jared Margolis, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the nonprofit group had not decided whether to pursue that route, though it recognized the option was still on the table. It’s not clear, however, whether the group will have enough time to file the proper paperwork before SpaceX moves forward with the anticipated launch.
PP
SpaceX gets regulatory approval for megarocket, setting up Friday launch attempt
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/15/world/sp ... index.html
Federal regulators have granted SpaceX permission to launch a long-awaited second test flight of its Starship system — the most powerful rocket ever built — following an explosive first attempt in April.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, said Wednesday that SpaceX has permission to launch the mission after the agency determined it “met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.”
SpaceX’s website states that the company is targeting a two-hour launch window on Friday, November 17, that opens at 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET).
Public notices issued to mariners indicate that backup opportunities for liftoff could include the mornings of November 18, 19 and 20.
The Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster are at the center of SpaceX’s plans to eventually put humans on Mars, as well as aid NASA’s effort to return humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Starship is intended to serve as the lunar lander for the Artemis III mission, currently slated for 2025. And if the test flight once again fails, it could bog down NASA’s lunar exploration timeline.
April’s inaugural integrated test flight of Starship and Super Heavy — the massive rocket expected to propel the spacecraft to orbital speeds — ended just minutes after takeoff when the vehicle began tumbling tail-over-head, forcing SpaceX to initiate self-destruct mode and explode both rocket stages over the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX has spent the past several months rebuilding the launch site and making upgrades to the rocket system at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The launchpad was torn to pieces by the sheer force of Super Heavy’s engines igniting, sending debris into the surrounding coastal area.
SpaceX slams regulatory ‘headwinds’ for holding up Starship, risking US dominance in space
The rocket mishap’s potential impacts galvanized a group of environmental and wildlife advocates to file a May lawsuit againt the FAA, claiming the agency had failed to comply with federal environmental laws when it greenlit Starship’s first test flight.
William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX vice president for build and reliability, faulted regulators for holding up the second test flight, saying at a mid-October US Senate hearing, “It’s a shame when our hardware is ready to fly, and we’re not able to go fly because of regulations or review.”
The FAA finished its safety investigation in September, laying out 63 corrective actions for SpaceX. The agency then completed a safety review on October 31 for SpaceX’s planned second test flight.
However, as part of its environmental review, the FAA set up a consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. That process concluded on November 14, according to a statement from the agency, allowing FAA to issue the launch permit.
Now, SpaceX is set for another attempt to propel Starship off the launchpad and send it on a mission to complete nearly one full lap of Earth.
Starship challenges
If the test mission once again fails, NASA’s aim to return humans to the moon’s surface could face delays as the space agency is racing other nations — including China — to build a permanent lunar settlement. The space agency has already warned that Starship might not be ready in time for a 2025 moon landing attempt.
Even if successful, SpaceX still has numerous technological hurdles to clear. The company must demonstrate the rocket can safely deliver a satellite or another payload to Earth’s orbit, as well as dock with a refueling tanker to top off its propellant while in orbit — a move that will be essential for getting the massive vehicle to the moon.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted in August on social media that he foresees about a “50% probability of reaching orbital velocity,” though he cautiously added that “even getting to stage separation would be a win,” referring to the launch phase when the Super Heavy rocket detaches from the Starship spacecraft.
Environmental concerns
SpaceX posted images and video of Starship on the launch pad on Tuesday, September 5.
FAA closes investigation into SpaceX Starship rocket that exploded
SpaceX may also face additional pushback from environmentalists ahead of — or in the wake of — the second launch attempt.
The group of environmental and wildlife advocates that previously sued the FAA could still attempt to seek an injunction to stop the next launch.
When reached for comment, Jared Margolis, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the nonprofit group had not decided whether to pursue that route, though it recognized the option was still on the table. It’s not clear, however, whether the group will have enough time to file the proper paperwork before SpaceX moves forward with the anticipated launch.
PP
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX gets license for 2nd launch of giant Starship rocket
The company is now targeting a Saturday (Nov. 18) liftoff.
https://www.space.com/spacex-faa-licens ... SmartBrief
Update for Nov. 16: The second Starship launch was postponed to no earlier than Saturday, Nov. 18 to replace a grid fin actuator on the launch stack, according to an update by Elon Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter.
PP
The company is now targeting a Saturday (Nov. 18) liftoff.
https://www.space.com/spacex-faa-licens ... SmartBrief
Update for Nov. 16: The second Starship launch was postponed to no earlier than Saturday, Nov. 18 to replace a grid fin actuator on the launch stack, according to an update by Elon Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter.
PP
Re: SpaceX
We'll count that as a partial success rather than a partial failure!
Plus points:
Great launch (waiting to see the state of the launch pad, of course!).
All 33 motors kept running up to staging.
Staging appeared to run as per.
Minus points:
Premature loss of both vehicles, the first stage appeared to have a 'RUD' as it is known just after light up of the 'burn back' engines, with prior venting of something from the body.
Second stage - I saw at least two 'flare-ups' during its powered flight and then I gather the flight termination system was activated.
So, lots of telemetry for the team, everything worked well up to first stage RUD, and then apparently OK for the Starship for quite a while. Maybe issues with fuel tank integrity for both ships?
Hope the 'bits' didn't fall on anybody. EDIT: Appears to have 'just' missed Cuba!
Amazing achievement!
Plus points:
Great launch (waiting to see the state of the launch pad, of course!).
All 33 motors kept running up to staging.
Staging appeared to run as per.
Minus points:
Premature loss of both vehicles, the first stage appeared to have a 'RUD' as it is known just after light up of the 'burn back' engines, with prior venting of something from the body.
Second stage - I saw at least two 'flare-ups' during its powered flight and then I gather the flight termination system was activated.
So, lots of telemetry for the team, everything worked well up to first stage RUD, and then apparently OK for the Starship for quite a while. Maybe issues with fuel tank integrity for both ships?
Hope the 'bits' didn't fall on anybody. EDIT: Appears to have 'just' missed Cuba!
Amazing achievement!
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Woody
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Re: SpaceX
63 was possibly not enough 
FAA orders SpaceX to take 63 corrective actions on Starship and keeps rocket grounded
In order for SpaceX to resume Starship launches at its facility in Texas, the company will need to “implement all corrective actions that impact public safety,” according to the FAA.
When all else fails, read the instructions.
Re: SpaceX
RUD X 2 
PP
PP
Re: SpaceX
All the media I have found today shows that the launch pad survived with minimal damage. A huge achievement by the team.
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tango15
- Chief Pilot
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Re: SpaceX
I have just finished reading 'Moonraker' (again), and I'm amazed at how many similarities there are between Hugo Drax and Elon Musk, especially given that Moonraker was written almost 70 years ago.