Elon Musk REVEALED the REAL Reason SpaceX Starship Orbital Test Flight Delayed MANY TIMES

Elon Musk REVEALED the REAL Reason SpaceX Starship Orbital Test Flight Delayed MANY TIMES
US government documentation suggests that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aims to complete an environmental review of SpaceX’s orbital Starship launch site no earlier than December 31st, 2021, precluding an orbital launch attempt this year.

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The FAA has posted the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) Project Schedule on the Federal Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard (Permitting Dashboard) and project website. The PEA Start Date of July 1, 2021, denotes the date of determination to prepare a PEA. The FAA noted in an email to interested parties on November 23, 2020, that the agency was at the beginning stages of conducting an environmental review of SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy proposal and then opened a scoping period to identify issues for analysis in a draft environmental review. While SpaceX has worked with the FAA to prepare a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) since March 2021, the FAA did not decide to proceed with a PEA until sufficient information was received on the full scope of the proposed project, including vehicle landings for the Starship/Super Heavy.



Included on the Permitting Dashboard are dates for the special purpose law consultations. The FAA has been working with agencies on an ongoing basis since the 2014 SpaceX Environmental Impact Statement. Consultations started early in the planning process and helped to inform the determination to prepare a PEA.



In light of the FAA taking until September 2021 to publish the draft of that environmental assessment (EA), a major delay has been the expected outcome for months. The latest development finally makes that delay official, confirming that even in the new best-case scenario, SpaceX will be unable to conduct Starship’s first orbital launch before January 1st, 2022. But while that unfortunate confirmation comes as little surprise, it’s not all bad news.



It’s unclear how accurate the Federal Infrastructure Projects’ “Permitting Dashboard” actually is but the information displayed on the website is specific and detailed enough for it to be deemed trustworthy. If correct, it states that the FAA aims to complete SpaceX’s orbital Starship EA by December 31st. To an extent, that internal estimate relies on the optimistic assumption that the FAA will rule in SpaceX’s favor on the matter and issue either a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).



Of course, there’s a chance that the portal’s claim that the FAA will file Starship’s final orbital EA and conclude the EA process on the same day implies that the FAA has already ruled out the worst-case scenario (a no-action alternative finding), which would be excellent news for SpaceX. In an optimal scenario, the 12/31/21 target means that the FAA could issue a FONSI or mitigate FONSI before the end of 2021. However, even if that’s the case, a highly favorable environmental review is just one part of the process of securing an orbital Starship launch license, which will be the next gating factor for the SpaceX rocket’s full-up launch debut.



There is very little public insight into what that launch licensing process involves or how long it usually takes but it’s safe to say that it could take months for the FAA to move from issuing a favorable EA to approving even the most limited possible orbital Starship launch license (a permit for a single flight). Still, there is some reason for optimism. If the FAA actually publishes a final – and favorable – environmental assessment by the end of 2021, less than four months after issuing the first draft EA for orbital Starship launches, it would be an exceptionally quick turnaround for such a large project and review

#spacex #starship #orbital

[floyd]

I believe that space regulations and controls should be put under its own administration and removed from the FAA.

[daviddotson]

I'm not sure what planet the narrator is from on theSpaceX video, but people refer to the Federal Aviation Administration as the FAA not the F double A. He's obviously not from this world...

[Mordred]

So, the same federal government that makes sweetheart deals with oil and coal--talk about environmental impact--is now so concerned about SpaceX's ostensible environmental impacts they feel the need to impose delay after delay on them?

[patchesconway]

Ok you made space ship with A window.
Now make A real Space ship with no windows.

[LT]

You think out of all the technology we stop building popcams with account on it and call them spaceships

[sebell]

and the Chinese keep chugging on like the "energizer bunny"

[michaeljoyner]

Dude..
stop saying F-double A.
Nobody says that.
It’s the F-A-A

[dalegregg]

i hope Elon moves his companies and process out of the
USA and removes the united states from taking any credit for future space technology. Then starts charging the USA and nasa for the full cost of flights like other US companies like blue lawsuit 6 billion to move 500 lbs to the moon. The FAA and the president had better consider the loss that a negative response would have to the USA not to mention the billions in tax dollars that Elon has paid would also be lost.

[sebell]

more red tape and YET the Chinese keep progressing
ELON Move to mejico or Canada they both have the infractrure you need to do the launching