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Secret Rocket Launch and SpaceX Starship Update · Elon Musk Podcast

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  Hi everybody and welcome back to another episode of the Elon Musk
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  podcast where we talk about all things technology innovation.
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  And of course, today we're going to be talking about space
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  travel. Today we have a lot to discuss,
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  particularly the United Launch Alliances.
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  ULA's second launch of the year, an Atlas 5 rocket mission for
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  the National Reconnaissance Office in the Space Force.
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  Called Silent Barker NROL 107, this mission aims to deploy
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  watchdog satellites to geostationary Earth orbit, which
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  will help us keep tabs on the activities of other countries in
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  this orbital regime. Now, ULA's activities have been
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  fairly low key in comparison to SpaceX, which has conducted 63
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  orbital missions so far this year.
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  But don't let that overshadow the significance of the Analyst
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  5 launch, one that had the rocket in its most powerful
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  configuration, with five solid rocket boosters in the goal to
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  improve America's monitoring abilities in the geostationary
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  belts, where many of our vital communications and observation
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  satellites operate. It's more than just a rocket
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  going up. It's about national security in
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  the future of space reconnaissance if we backtrack a
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  little bit. ULA's only other launch this
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  year was a D4 heavy back in June.
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  SpaceX, on the other hand, has been on A roll, managing to
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  accomplish 63 orbital missions across all of its launch
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  complexes, including California. Now, the sheer number of SpaceX
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  missions has resulted in ULA falling into the background, but
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  that doesn't negate the importance of these efforts.
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  The Atlas Fives launch marks the 48th launch of the year from the
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  Space Coast, with only three missions not coming from SpaceX.
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  One came from Relativity Space launching its 3D printed Terran
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  One rocket in March. But still more than three months
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  to go in the year, the Space Coast is looking good to be its
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  2022 record of 57 launches. It's not just about quantity.
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  The quality and strategic significance of these launches
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  are also noteworthy. Silent Barker's mission is a
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  classified 1 involving multiple payloads designed to be placed
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  in geostationary Earth orbit. Now Chris Skoleze, director of
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  the National Reconnaissance Office of the NRO, explained
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  that the set lights will allow for enhanced understanding of
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  activities happening in the orbital belt.
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  Monitoring geostationary orbit is critical as it offers a
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  unique viewpoint for observing earthbound activities and other
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  set lights. And in terms of power, the five
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  boosters of the Atlas 5 generated remarkable £2.1
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  million of thrust on liftoff, and these burn for around 90
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  seconds before separating from the first stage, which continued
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  its upward trajectory. The Rocket Centaur upward stage,
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  powered by a version of the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engine,
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  will ferry its national security payloads approximately 24,000
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  miles away from their destination.
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  Now it's worth mentioning that this isn't Atlas Five's first
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  rodeo. This is the 13th time that it's
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  flown with five boosters since its debut in 2006.
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  Past missions have included NASA's Juneau and New Horizons
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  missions, showcasing the Rockets versatility and its reliability.
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  Additionally, ULA only has one D4 heavy and 18 more Atlas 5
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  rockets left this lineup, with 7 earmarked for Boeing CST100
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  Starliner, 9 for Amazon's Project Viper satellite
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  constellation, and two others. Now ULA does have plans to
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  transition to its new Vulcan Centaur rockets, but there have
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  been delays. Despite these challenges, the
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  next launch is set for as early as September 26th, and it's an
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  important one. The first of Amazon's 9 Atlas 5
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  missions that will send test satellites into orbit.
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  These launches will pave the way for multiple Vulcan missions as
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  well as launches of Aryan Spaces upcoming Ariana 6 and Blue
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  Origin still in development? New Glen rockets.
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  However, things haven't been all smooth sailing for SpaceX
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  either. The FAA has raised safety
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  concerns regarding Spacex's super heavy Starship launch
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  vehicle. As a result, SpaceX needs to
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  complete 63 corrective actions before another test flight is
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  authorized. These include hardware
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  redesigns, launchpad reinforcements, and enhanced
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  safety protocols. It's another hurdle that SpaceX
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  has to overcome, but it's crucial for ensuring the safety
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  and success of future missions. SpaceX has been making headlines
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  for its frequent and successful launches.
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  It is also encountered some regulatory turbulence,
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  particularly from the FAA. Now, the FAA cited safety
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  concerns regarding Spacex's Starship, and according to the
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  agency, SpaceX needs to correct and complete 63 actions before
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  they can launch the Starship again.
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  These corrective actions encompass a wide range of
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  elements, including hardware redesigns, launchpad
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  reinforcements, and bolstered safety protocols.
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  And the FA A's involvement isn't surprising given its mandate to
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  regulate all aspects of Civil Aviation, including commercial
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  space launches. Miss Spacex's Super Heavy
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  Starship is designed to be a reusable orbital class rocket,
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  making it the most powerful rocket ever developed.
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  Safety considerations are paramount now.
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  The FA A's role here is to ensure that the rocket design,
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  build quality and operational protocols meet rigorous
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  standards to protect both the crew and the public, and this
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  regulatory hurdle has implications for Spacex's
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  broader ambitions. The Starship super heavy is
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  crucial to the company's plans for interplanetary travel,
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  including missions to Mars and delays in its development and
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  testing timeline never ripple effect, potentially slowing down
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  a variety of planned missions such as the Artemis 3 mission
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  and Artemis 4, and also commercial partnerships.
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  Now these could range from lunar landings with Artemis even more
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  futuristic endeavors like establishing a human presence on
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  Mars. However, this isn't necessary a
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  roadblock that could derail Spacex's overall trajectory.
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  Company has a track record of effectively responding to an
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  overcoming regulatory challenges.
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  Completing the 63 corrective actions is a tall order, but one
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  within the realms of feasibility for SpaceX.
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  What this scenario emphasizes is the balance that needs to be
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  struck between innovation and safety, especially as a
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  commercial space travel becomes more central to our future in
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  space exploration. Now before we wrap things up,
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  let's touch on the geopolitical aspects of these launches.
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  Countries like Russia and China have been ramping up their space
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  capabilities, including potential anti satellite
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  weaponry. Now this has an extra layer of
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  importance to the Silent Barker mission.
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  The satellites are expected to monitor any abnormal or
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  potentially threatening activities in the geostationary
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  orbit providing both defensive and deterrent capabilities.
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  Now. Thank you so much for listening
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  to the show today. We've covered a lot today, but
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  this is just a glimpse into the complex and competitive arena
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  that's the modern space exploration and security realm.
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  Now, as the year unfolds, it'll be fascinating to see how ULA
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  and SpaceX continue to shape the future of space technology and
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  National Defense. Now don't forget to hit the
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  subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast platform
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  you're listening on right now. It's free and it takes a second,
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  and it helps us out tremendously.
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  And until next time, please keep looking up, take care of
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  yourselves and each other, and I'll see you in the next one.