SpaceX's Solution to Launch Starship Without Absurd FAA...REPLAY#10

SpaceX's Solution to Launch Starship Without Absurd FAA...REPLAY#10
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#spacex #space #greatspacex #starship #faa
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SpaceX's Solution to Launch Starship Without Absurd FAA...REPLAY#10
All for one!
Someone needs to stop this! The FAA seems to be finding every possible reason to prevent Starship and Falcon 9 from launching, and the more they do, the more their reasons appear absurd. Most recently, the upgraded heat shield by SpaceX has become the latest justification for the agency's delays.
As for Falcon 9, despite the success of Crew-9, it too is facing unnecessary delays. How frustrating!
Let’s dive into the details in today’s episode of Great SpaceX.
SpaceX's Solution to Launch Starship Without Absurd FAA...REPLAY#10
The FAA's delay of Starship's Flight 5 has recently sparked heated debate in the aerospace industry. The agency has consistently cited "safety" as the main reason for its actions. Specifically, the delay is attributed to SpaceX's frequent modifications to the Starship mission, which the FAA claims require a new license. For Flight 5, the primary concern centers on the unprecedented task of catching the Super Heavy booster using the Mechazilla Arm.
While discussions over these points continue, the FAA recently introduced another surprising argument, this time regarding the heat shield on Starship S30. The agency stated: “The FAA requires a license modification if an operator proposes a change that is material to public safety. A change is material to public safety if it alters or affects the following: class of payload; type of launch or reentry vehicle; type or quantity of hazardous material; flight trajectory; launch site or reentry site or other landing site; or any system, policy, procedure, requirement, criteria, or standard that is safety critical.”
They further elaborated on Starship, noting: “A proposal to conduct a return to launch site for the booster, if the FAA has not previously evaluated and authorized it for prior flights, is a change that is material to public safety. A change of a vehicle's thermal protection system (TPS) may be a material change if the TPS is a safety-critical system or component that could affect public safety.”
SpaceX's Solution to Launch Starship Without Absurd FAA...REPLAY#10
This concern over the heat shield seems, frankly, absurd. The FAA likely flagged the issue due to SpaceX's changes to the heat shield on S30 following problems observed with S29. SpaceX replaced the entire heat shield, with Elon Musk revealing that the new version would be twice as strong. However, SpaceX has not provided details on how the tiles were upgraded, which is understandable, given that it’s part of their proprietary development process. Unfortunately, the FAA has used this lack of disclosure to claim concerns over public safety.
These arguments are clearly unconvincing for several reasons. First, SpaceX made these upgrades because the previous heat shield had issues, resulting in the forward flap of Starship being scorched during re-entry. Although the vehicle successfully landed in the ocean, the goal is to achieve a fully intact landing, which necessitated improvements. The idea that SpaceX should report this to the FAA or continue using the problematic heat shield seems unreasonable.

[j.r.]

Too bad the FAA does not apply the safety safety standards to Boeing.
They wouldn't have stranded personel on the ISS or have unlived hundreds of humans in the 737-800 or any other incidents directly attribitued to Boeing.

[niner_six_echo]

"We're the FAA and we're here to help".
Riiiight.

[williamabrahamsson]

If your country get nuked by another country your FAA will be like "They can't to that before we make sure the nuke doesn't disturb a sleeping turtle or that the exhaust from the ICBM is not harmful for birds".
I mean come on, FAA is making your country an international laughing stock.

[juliancrooks]

Sounds like the head of the FAA is working for SpaceX competitors. Maybe the Chinese?

[rivertbet]

Don't stop Space X.
FAA should help space development of USA, non stopping Space X

[martyrayh.]

FAA MOTTO: We're not happy until you're not happy!

[Anthonyyelsewg]

The FAA started delaying the starship program, after Elon endorsed Trump..

[ronaldwebb]

It seems to me that the FFA is not competent to be able to properly evaluate the any problems that may happen. Space X can do a better job and cares more about the environment and safety.

[timreed]

Imo there are other entities that are trying to stop or slow spacex's progress.

[spacegamer]

When every other argument fails, the fallback is always "for public safety"

[jeffreydavis]

It’s all political SpaceX is the most safest outfit industrial👍🇺🇸

[On-down-the-road]

Blue has not produced a complete rocket! We are 7 days from a planned launch, and it has been delayed because of this. Go starshiip!!

[koleconley]

Shut the faa down and ban all employees from ever working for any form of government for life. Period.

[EdCrosby]

YES, in fact I suggest an investigation of regulators would disclose questioonable to authorities motivating and delaying progress!

[the_new_project]

The booster sunk into the mud and sand. That is what happened. The bells are bent from water moving it and dragging it on the ocean floor.

[WorldExplorerToday]

Move the whole lot out of the USA to either UK or some Island where the FAA will be impossible to interfere

[paulperano]

Who at the FAA is qualified to determine these development changes ? Why doesn't SpaceX just hire these brilliant engineers ? Or does the FAA sit around Googling the engineering changes ?

[MichaelCarriger]

The FAA has already stated that if flight 5 followed the same profile as flight 4. If SpaceX launches 5 with the same profile as flight 4, they could gather yet more information on its ability to land the booster at a designated spot. In the meantime, they could file a launch license modification to the current request changing the flight number from 5 to 6. The FAA having stated that the license would be approved by the end of November allowing SpaceX to launch flight 6 before Christmas. Also, the FAA would then be hard pressed to use the TPS upgrade as a 'safety of flight' issue.

Given China has a sea based launch technology, SpaceX should also develop a sea launch capability.

The FAA needs to be fired as a launch license approval authority and consolidate all commercial/government launches with NASA and military launches to Space Force. The FAA has its plate full with all the aviation issues that they are dragging their heels on.

[-MotoX]

Why is the FAA involved with space flight?

[SkeenCharles]

At least your channel says something different. That Alpha Tech channel is the pits!