Let’s rewind a few years and imagine someone telling us that SpaceX would be launching the Starship soon. It’s hard to believe, not because we doubt SpaceX’s ability, but because Starship is not just another rocket – it’s the largest rocket ever built, not just in our time, but in the entire history of rocketry. Yet, here we are, witnessing SpaceX not only launch one Starship but gearing up for their third launch.
Recently, SpaceX took a huge step towards this third flight, which we will discuss in this video. But before we delve deeper, please make sure to subscribe to our channel for future updates about space news.
To truly understand the insanely fast pace of SpaceX’s Starship program, a comparison with the iconic Saturn 5 rocket is very useful.
The development of the Saturn 5 began in 1961, and its first launch occurred in 1967, marking a six-year gap between development and debut launch. In contrast, SpaceX’s Starship made its first flight just a few years after its initial development began, with the first prototype being tested in 2019. The fact that SpaceX is preparing for its third Starship flight only two months after the second highlights the company’s unprecedented pace in rocket development.
The third Starship launch is very significant as it plays a crucial role in NASA’s Artemis program, which is focused on returning humans to the moon surface. This mission relies heavily on the success of the Starship, which is why NASA has substantial investment of around $4 billion in starship.
SpaceX has recently taken a critical step towards the third flight by submitting a report to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regarding the Starship’s second launch in November 2023. This submission is essential for acquiring the license needed for the third launch.
You might be wondering, what does the report of the second launch have to do with the third launch?
The reason is straightforward yet significant. The FAA uses the data from previous launches to evaluate SpaceX’s readiness for subsequent missions. This report is a deep dive into the second launch, providing detailed insights into what went right, what went wrong, and how SpaceX addressed any issues. This analysis is important for the FAA to ensure that SpaceX is not repeating past mistakes.
However, there’s a problem. SpaceX’s plan to launch the third Starship as early as February might face delays due to the lengthy review process of the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA’s review can be time-consuming, which has caused delays in the past.
For the first integrated test flight of the Starship, the FAA took over 500 days to review the application and issue the license. Yes, you heard that right – 500 days just for a single launch license.
Musk has been openly critical of the FAA’s regulatory framework. He expressed his frustration on Twitter, stating that the FAA’s space division has “a fundamentally broken regulatory structure” and that their rules, which he described as being designed for a few expendable launches per year from government facilities, are inadequate for the pace and scope of SpaceX’s Mars ambitions. Musk argued that under such a regulatory environment, “humanity will never get to Mars”.
The tension between SpaceX and FAA raises questions about the progress being made in other countries, particularly those with less stringent regulations. For example, China’s space program has been making significant strides.
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