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FAA in the Hot Seat For Starship Launches · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
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  This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, the
• 0:08
  Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink.
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  I'm your host, Will Walden. Hey everybody, welcome back to
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  the show. Today's episode is about
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  Spacex's IFT One, Spacex's IFT 2, and also the upcoming IFT 3
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  launch, Starbase environmental groups and the Federal Aviation
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  Administration, and how these environmental groups are
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  contesting what's been happening down at Starbase.
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  Now organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity
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  took a step forward, and they're challenging the FAA over its
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  environmental oversight of Spacex's Starship launches from
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  Boca Chica Starbase, Texas. Now, this is building on an
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  earlier suit right after the first launch in April, the IFT 1
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  launch. Now, it seems that they're not
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  quite convinced that the FAA is taking a close enough look at
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  the environmental stakes down Starbase Now, the claim that
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  both the FAA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service haven't
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  thoroughly evaluated the environmental impacts of the
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  launches from Starbase. Now, according to these groups,
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  it's a clear oversight of what's required by the National
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  Environmental Policy Act. A specific point of contention
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  is the review of Spacex's PAD Daliard system, designed to
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  protect the launchpad. Now.
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  The environmental groups, however, argue that this review
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  was way too narrow, overlooking broader ecological effects.
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  And despite this, the Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that
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  the system wouldn't significantly harm the
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  environment. At Boca Chica, Jared Margolis
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  from the Center for Biological Diversity isn't holding back,
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  though. He's openly criticizing the FAA
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  and the FWS, saying failing to do an in depth environmental
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  review is letting SpaceX keep launching the world's largest
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  rockets that repeatedly explode shows a shocking disregard for
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  wildlife and communities. Now, clearly, he's calling for
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  more thorough environmental assessments, highlighting
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  potential risks to local ecosystems and communities.
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  Now let's talk about NASA's view of this.
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  Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy addressed the importance of
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  Starship for the Artemis lunar program at a Senate hearing.
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  She mentioned ongoing discussions with environmental
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  regulators and Melroy's Point. The space exploration stuff is
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  new territory for everybody involved, including
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  environmental agencies, especially down at Boca Chica,
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  because Starbase is kind of new. And there's also senators
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  involved. Senator Ted Cruz voiced his
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  frustration over the delays caused by environmental reviews.
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  At the same hearing. He labeled these delays asinine,
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  pointing out they're holding back US competitiveness in space
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  against China. And Cruz is calling for more
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  reasonable application of environmental laws, aiming to
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  balance ecological concerns with the pace of space exploration.
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  Now Kevin Coleman from the FAA defended this.
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  Responding to Cruz, he emphasized the necessities of
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  these reviews, saying they're all about following U.S. law and
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  protecting the environment. It's clear that the FAA is
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  trying to walk a tightrope here between legal compliance and
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  fostering new space innovation. SpaceX works fast, and the FAA
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  has to catch up. Now.
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  The FAA is also knee deep in an investigation into the second
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  Starship launch, which didn't exactly go according to plan the
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  IFT 2 launch. Coleman reported that the
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  investigation is moving along as expected, but the outcome
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  remains to be seen. And As for Spacex's plan, Elon
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  is of course eager to launch by the end of this year.
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  But the FAA isn't rushing their investigation or the issuing of
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  a new launch license. It's a classic case of hurry up
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  and wait, Elon wants to go fast. He wants everything ready by the
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  end of this year, and he said the hardware will be ready by
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  December 29th. They want to get this thing
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  stacked by Christmas, actually. So Kathy Leaders, who's now
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  managing Space XS Starbase, suggests a more cautious time
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  life for the next launch. Though eyeing first quarter
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  early 2024, it seems there's a recognition that these processes
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  can't be rushed, especially with so much on the line here.
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  Now the legal tussle between the FAA, the FWS is more than just a
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  spat over specific launches. It's a debate over environmental
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  stewardship, though in an era of ground breaking Space Tech in
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  the lawsuit claims that the FAA hasn't fully embraced its
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  environmental responsibilities, especially regarding public
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  engagement. Now let's remind to the Starship
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  launch in April, which is really at the center of all this.
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  The explosion caused notable environmental damage, raising
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  serious questions about the ecological footprint of Spacex's
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  activities. It's these kinds of incidents
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  that are fueling this debate. There was a rock tornado under
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  the launchpad. Concrete was strewn all over the
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  environment and people were mad about it.
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  Now Margolis is doubling down on his concerns.
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  He pointed out regulators are playing Russian roulette with
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  one of the most critical and sensitive habitats for migratory
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  birds in our country. It's a strong statement that
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  underscores the perceived risks of these launches and the need
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  for comprehensive environmental reviews.
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  He's also spotlighting the potential conflict between tech
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  advancement in Environmental Conservation.
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  Margolis said. SpaceX should not be given free
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  reign to use this amazing area as a sacrifice zone.
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  It's a powerful critique, highlighting the potential
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  consequences of prioritizing technology over our environment
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  and the community as a whole. Now, Margolis further suggests
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  that our current environmental laws might not be up to the task
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  of dealing with challenges posed by private space ventures like
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  Spacex's Starship. He's advocating for a more
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  comprehensive approach to environmental management in
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  light of these technological advancements.
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  Now, his perspective is crucial in the broader conversation
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  about balancing tech progress with also protecting our planet,
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  because we have to do both. And Margolis is pushing for
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  evolving regulatory practices, ensuring that technological
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  leaps don't come at the expense of Environmental Conservation.
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  Now, it's not about specific launches for these people.
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  It's a conversation about how we navigate the complexities of
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  technological advancements and ecological preservation.
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  It's about finding a middle ground and how they all have to
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  coexist. SpaceX, the FAA, Fish and
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  Wildlife Service and also these environmental groups.
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  Now during the second test flight of SpaceX Starship which
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  took place on November 18th, it faced a pretty significant set
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  back. The launch initially seemed very
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  successful with the Starship lifting off without damaging the
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  launchpad, A notable improvement from the previous test IFT one.
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  However, the flight ended dramatically, with both the
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  Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage
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  experiencing catastrophic failures, while the Super Heavy
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  booster exploded shortly after the stage separation.
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  It's a major incident in the test, but it was deemed a
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  success. Following this, the Starship's
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  flight termination system was activated near the end of the
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  powered phase, leading to its destruction as well.
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  Now, this sequence of events marked a significant challenge
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  for Spacex's Starship, but it's also very complex for the
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  environmental groups involved in the FAA of the aftermath of the
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  Starship second test flight prompted an extensive
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  investigation led by SpaceX under the oversight of the FAA,
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  and this investigation aim to determine the causes behind the
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  destruction of both the booster and the upper stage.
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  Kevin Coleman, the FAA Administrator for Commercial
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  Space Transportation, also commented on the progress of
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  this probe, noting that it was proceeding as expected and
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  without major surprises. And the outcomes of this
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  investigation are crucial for Spacex's future Starship
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  launches, as they will inform the necessary modifications and
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  the safety measures to be implemented for future launches.
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  Thank you for tuning into the show today.
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