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SpaceX Starship Flight 7 Update · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:01
  Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
• 0:04
  Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
• 0:07
  the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
• 0:11
  Boring Company and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
• 0:15
  What does the FAA's latest approval mean for Spacex's next
• 0:18
  steps with a Starship? And how are new exceptions in
• 0:22
  mishap reporting changing the game for experimental launches
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  from Boca Chica Starbase, Texas? Also, will the upgraded Starship
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  design deliver improved performance?
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  These are the key questions we'll be exploring as we look
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  into Space XS preparation for the next Starship flight, Flight
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  7, following the Fe as recent license modification.
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  Now, on December 17th, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration
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  granted Space XA modified license, paving the way for the
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  next Starship test flight, Flight 7, expected as early as
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  January of 2025. Now, this approval allows SpaceX
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  to execute multiple launches using the Flight 7 mission
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  profile without requiring a separate modification for each
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  attempt. This is huge.
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  The decision was made after a thorough assessment to ensure
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  compliance with all safety, environmental, and licensing
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  criteria of the FAA. Associate Administrator for
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  Commercial Space Transportation Kevin B Coleman said This
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  license modification that we are issuing is well ahead of the
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  Starship Flight 7 launch date and is another example of the FA
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  as commitment to enable safe space transport.
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  The upcoming mission will see Spacex's Starship and Super
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  Heavy booster lift off from Boca Chica, Texas before separating,
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  and the Super Heavy booster will return to the launch site for a
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  catch attempt by the launch tower.
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  While Starship will follow a sub orbital trajectory, culminating
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  in a water landing in the Indian Ocean West of Australia.
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  Now this flight mirrors past missions but introduces upgraded
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  vehicle configurations which could enhance its performance.
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  Still a test vehicle, of course, but one of the most notable
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  elements of the FAA's announcements is the inclusion
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  of a new failure mode. Exceptions.
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  How? Historically, the FAA has
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  permitted certain test induced failures without requiring
• 2:17
  formal mishap investigations as long as they do not result in
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  injuries, property damage, or debris falling outside
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  designated areas. Previous exceptions included
• 2:27
  failures like thermal shield damage during high heating or
• 2:31
  flat malfunctions during high dynamic pressure and for Flight
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  7 and beyond. Two additional exceptions were
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  introduced, Raptor engine failure during an in space burn
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  and issues with Super Heavy systems during post booster
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  catch. Vehicle saving of these new
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  allowances reflect the experimental nature of Spacex's
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  Starship program and grant the company some leeways more
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  flexibility to refine its systems without immediate
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  regulatory delays. Spacex's readiness for Flight 7
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  hinges on vehicle in pad preparations, though.
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  Ship 33, the first Block 2 Starship, recently completed
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  engine tests at the Massey's test facility about a mile and a
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  half away from the big facility down there at Boca Chica.
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  Now. These included a spin Prime test
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  to validate its upgraded engine plumbing and two static fires, 1
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  involving all six engines and another simulating a deorbit
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  burn with engine gimbling. Now these tests marked the first
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  deorbit burn test since Ship 29, signifying the advancements made
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  with Block 2 ships and following these milestones, ship 33 was
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  transported back to Mega Bay 2 for final preparations.
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  Now the Block 2 configurations. Let's get into this a little
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  bit. It introduces several
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  significant changes to the Starship design.
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  These tanks have been extended, increasing propellant capacity
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  from 1200 to 1500 tons, while modifications to the forward
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  flaps aim to improve re entry performance and thermal
• 4:01
  protection. Now, this enhanced design marks
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  a step forward in Spacex's iterative development process,
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  even as the company continues to address challenges identified
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  during earlier flights. Meanwhile, a Super Heavy booster
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  designated for Flight 7 Booster 14, is undergoing its final
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  adjustments in the Mega Bay. This includes the installment of
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  a heat stage ring, a component designed to facilitate engine
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  ignition While the Starship and booster are still connected in,
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  Spacex's decision to incorporate the feature aligns with this
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  ongoing commitment to optimizing the performance of the Starship
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  Now. The launchpad in Boca Chica,
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  also known as Starbase, has seen significant upgrades in recent
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  weeks. While much of the refurbishment
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  has been completed, tasks such as repainting the pads legs and
• 4:49
  routing cryogenic pipes to the new tanks remain unfinished.
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  It is unlikely that these new tanks will be operational in
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  time for Flight 7, though, given the complexity of integrating
• 4:59
  them into the orbital tank farm. Nonetheless, SpaceX is expected
• 5:04
  to conduct a tanking test or even a full wet dress rehearsal
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  before the launch, given the new configurations being introduced
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  with Ship 33. Now let's go back to the FAA.
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  Their decision to streamline licensing process is a great
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  thing, and it's reflecting of their broader efforts to
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  accommodate the new commercial space industry.
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  In October, SpaceX faced delays in obtaining a license
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  modification for Flight 5 due to the FAA's need to conduct
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  additional Sonic boom in environmental assessments.
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  The approval arrived just one day before the schedule
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  launched, prompting concerns about regulatory inefficiencies.
• 5:44
  Elon Musk took to X and berated the FAA for this, and the FAA
• 5:48
  has since worked to accelerate its review processes with a
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  Flight 7 license modification issued well ahead of the
• 5:55
  anticipated launch window. Now, despite these regulatory
• 5:58
  improvements, though, challenges still remain.
• 6:00
  SpaceX must address potential safety concerns while
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  maintaining the experimental nature of the Starship.
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  Under Part 450 of Title 14 of the Federal Aviation
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  Regulations, mishaps are defined and monitored rigorously, even
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  as the FAA grants certain exceptions for test induced
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  failures. These exceptions are not
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  unconditional, though. Any incident resulting in safety
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  risks or injuries will still trigger a mandatory
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  investigation. Now, looking ahead, SpaceX aims
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  to meet a tentative launch date of January 11th or January 15th.
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  We're not quite sure yet, and this timing aligns with a NASA
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  request for imaging support from Perth, Australia, suggesting
• 6:41
  that the flight could occur during daylight hours to
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  facilitate visual documentation of the actual landing of the
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  Starship. If successful, Flight 7 will
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  represent another incremental step in Space XS effort to
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  develop a completely fully reusable rocket system capable
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  of supporting missions to Mars. Now, SpaceX will continue the
• 7:00
  preparations, though the focus remains on assuring vehicle
• 7:03
  reliability and operational safety before the flight.
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  The Ship 33's upcoming launch will test not only its enhanced
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  design, but also if it can see of the FAA's regulatory
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  adjustments. With ongoing improvements to
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  licensing processes and vehicle configurations, the Flight 7
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  mission could provide valuable insights for the future of
• 7:23
  SpaceX. Hey, thank you so much for
• 7:31
  listening today. I really do appreciate your
• 7:33
  support. If you could take a second and
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  hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast
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  appreciate it. It helps out the show
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  tremendously and you'll never miss an episode.
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  And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you
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  support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stagezero and
• 7:57
  please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you
• 8:00
  tomorrow.