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SpaceX Starship Update Jan 10 Launch! · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
• 0:05
  This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads, The
• 0:08
  Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neurolink.
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  I'm your host Will Walden. SpaceX is preparing for the 7th
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  flight test of its Starship vehicle, officially designated
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  as Starship Flight Test 7, scheduled to launch no earlier
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  than January 10th, 2025 at 4:00 PM CDT from Starbase, Texas.
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  Now the mission will aim to test critical upgrades while
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  continuing to refine Starship's recovery and reuse systems.
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  Now this flight will also feature the use of Block 2
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  hardware, which is a significant step that the Starship has
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  developed over the course of many years.
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  Now the upcoming mission will employ booster 14B14 and ship 33
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  or S33 marking in the first flight of a Block 2 Starship.
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  This test will follow a sub orbital flight profile similar
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  to earlier tests with Booster 14 attempting a return to launch
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  site catch by the launch towers, chopstick arms and Ship 33
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  expected to perform a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean
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  now. If successful, this will be the
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  second catch of a Super Heavy booster following progress made
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  during earlier tests. And the timeline for the mission
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  was confirmed through an advisory released on December 27
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  of 2024, with a backup launch window extending until about
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  January 15th, 2025, and Elon Musk reaffirmed the primary date
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  via social media on December 30th.
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  Here's some facts for you. November 6, 2024, SpaceX
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  confirmed the use of a Block 2 Starship in this test.
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  Enhancements include redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant
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  tanks, and advanced thermal protection systems.
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  November 19th, 2024 Elon Musk announced plans for an final
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  ocean splashdown test after Flight 6.
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  Based on its results, future tests may attempt ship recovery
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  via the launch tower. November 25th, 2024 NASA
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  documentation filed with the FAA suggested a targeted launch
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  window beginning January 11th, 2025, which has been shifted to
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  January 10th and December 3rd of 2024.
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  The FCC approved communication systems for the mission, which
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  is supporting operations from December 14th, 2024 all the way
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  through June 14th of 2025. December 27th, 2024, The
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  advisory for Flight 7 confirmed the primary launch date of
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  January 10th, 2025, with possible alternative launch
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  times later on in the week. December 30th, 2024.
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  Elon Musk confirmed the net no earlier than launch date via X
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  Now. This mission will test a suite
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  of critical upgrades to the Starship system.
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  Key improvements include Chip 33 will debut redesigned forward
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  flaps to improve heat shield durability and re entry
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  performance, a larger propellant capacity, and advanced heat
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  shield materials aimed to enhance thermal protection.
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  Engineers will evaluate modular heat shield tiles and metallic
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  alternatives with active cooling features to address previous
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  vulnerabilities. Now a secondary thermal
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  protection layer will be tested as a backup mechanism.
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  Booster 14 and Ship 33 feature increased propellant capacity,
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  vacuum insulated feed lines and upgraded Raptor engine systems
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  in space. Relight demonstrations similar
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  to those conducted during Flight 6 are also planned.
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  There's new systems that provide increased redundance and real
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  time telemetry capabilities for this flight.
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  The avionics redesign also includes 30 plus cameras and
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  smart batteries capable of managing 2.7 megawatts of power.
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  Now this is interesting. The mission will release 10
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  Starlink simulators into a suborbital trajectory to test
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  Starships payload deployment capabilities.
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  That's what I'm most excited about.
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  The FAA emphasized that the mission will proceed only if all
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  safety, environmental, and technical requirements are met.
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  In its statement, the agency highlighted that they said the
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  FAA continues to increase efficiencies in licensing
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  activities to meet the needs of the commercial space
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  transportation industry while ensuring public safety.
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  Elon Musk and SpaceX have reiterated their commitment to
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  public safety as well, with the boosters return requiring strict
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  health checks along the way before the catch attempt.
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  Now, if conditions are not favorable or not met, the
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  booster will divert to a controlled landing and a
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  splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
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  Sonic booms, also generated during the boosters descent, are
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  expected to have minimal impact on surrounding areas.
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  Now, did you know that reusable spacecraft have a long history,
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  beginning with NASA's SpaceX Shuttle program 1981 to 2011?
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  While partially reusable, the Shuttle required extensive
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  refurbishment between flights, limiting its cost effectiveness.
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  Also, Space XS Falcon 9 advanced the concept by enabling the
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  first stage to land and be reused with minimal
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  refurbishment. Now, since 2015, Falcon 9 has
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  completed over 250 launches with more than 200 successful
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  landings. Starship aims to surpass these
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  milestones by achieving complete and full reusability for both
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  the booster and the upper stage, making it the most advanced
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  reusable spacecraft system ever designed.
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  Now, following Flight 7, SpaceX will aim for further refinements
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  during Flight Test 8, including a potential first attempt to
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  catch the Starship upper stage with the launch tower, and the
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  data collected from these missions will inform plans for
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  orbital crew flights and lunar landings under NASA's Artemis
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  program. Competition in the reusable
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  rocket sector is intensifying, too.
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  Blue Origins New Glen in China's Long March 8th are being
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  designed with reusability in mind, though both lag behind
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  Starship and testing and operational capabilities and
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  readiness. The 7th Flight Test of Starship
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  marks another important step toward achieving a fully
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  reusable space transportation system.
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  By integrating hardware upgrades and addressing challenges from
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  prior tests, this mission will play a key role in shaping the
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  future of Spacex's Starship and Boca Chica star base Texas.
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  For ongoing updates, subscribe to our Supercast For exclusive
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• 7:10
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  please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you
• 7:46
  tomorrow.