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SpaceX Starship and the FAA Clear for Flight in a Few Weeks · Elon Musk Podcast

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  Hi everybody and welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast where we
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  talk about technology, space exploration, and the future of
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  humanity. And in today's episode, we have
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  some noteworthy developments to discuss about Spacex's Starship
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  project and its dealings with the FAA.
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  Recent statements suggest that a new launch license could be
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  granted to SpaceX as early as next month, following an intense
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  period of technical investigation and corrective
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  action. Now this comes after a Starship
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  rocket exploded during a test launch in April, leading to a
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  joint mishap investigation by both SpaceX and the FAA.
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  Now, Acting FAA Administrator Polly Trottenberg announced
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  optimism for the license approval in the coming weeks,
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  and the FAA wrapped up its technical investigation into the
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  April test launch, outlining 63 corrective actions that SpaceX
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  must take. And while the FAA and other
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  governing bodies like NASA in the National Transportation
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  Safety Board played oversight roles, the investigation was
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  primarily led by SpaceX. And the FAA recently released a
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  mishap closure letter detailing expectations around safety and
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  environmental issues that the company must meet before it can
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  launch its next Starship rocket, but before any engines roar.
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  SpaceX still needs a separate environmental nod from the US
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  Fish and Wildlife Service, which is yet to be determined.
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  And during the illfaded April launch, the Starships flight was
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  far from smooth. 4 minutes into the flight, the rocket exploded
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  near Spacex's Boca Chica launch site on the Texas coast, and
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  reports showed debris in particulates from the explosion
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  affecting the nearby town of Port Isabel.
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  A series of issues ranging from structural failure at the
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  launchpad to an unexpected delay in the activation of the
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  autonomous flight safety system culminated in the catastrophic
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  event. And to prevent future mishaps,
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  the FAA expects SpaceX to redesign vehicle hardware and
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  launchpad incorporated additional reviews and apply
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  more rigorous change control practices.
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  Now, SpaceX has been diligently working to meet the FA A's
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  expectations. According to updates on their
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  website, new features like a hot staging separation system in an
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  electric thrust vector control system are now part of the
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  rocket design. These updates aim to increase
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  the reliability and safety of future launches.
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  Elon Musk himself announced thousands of upgrades to
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  Starship in the launchpad and Mekazilla, referring to the
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  tower launch structure at the Boca Chica site.
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  Now let's talk more about Spacex's starbase in Boca Chica,
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  Texas. This launch site has been a
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  symbol of innovation and ambition for SpaceX.
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  A formerly quiet village, Boca Chica has transformed into a hub
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  of aerospace activities. The proximity to the Gulf of
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  Mexico allows for easy transportation of rocket
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  components, while the vast open land provides an ideal backdrop
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  for test launches. In subsequent data analysis,
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  SpaceX has been increasing its land holdings around the site,
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  and the infrastructure has seen significant developments.
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  Buildings and tech labs dedicated to research and
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  development, assembly buildings for Starship, and even living
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  quarters for engineers and staff are in various stages of
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  construction. The transformation is a
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  testament to Spacex's commitment to the Starship project and its
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  broader goals of interplanetary travel.
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  However, the site's expansion hasn't come without its share of
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  criticism. Environmentalists and local
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  groups have expressed concerns about the potential impact on
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  local ecosystems and wildlife. Notably, the launch site is
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  close to a Wildlife Refuge in Public Beach.
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  The proximity to these environmentally sensitive zones
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  led to a lawsuit against the FAA and SpaceX demanding a more
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  comprehensive environmental impact study.
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  Now, Starship is designed to be more than just another rocket
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  represents a leap toward fulfilling space ambitions on a
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  scale we have not seen before, and with plans to be used in
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  NASA's Artemis Moon missions, Artemis 3 in particular, in Elon
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  Musk's vision of Mars colonization, there's a
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  considerable weight of expectation on Starship. the
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  Rockets testing and certification carry not just the
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  company's commercial aspiration, but also the dream of expanding
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  human civilization beyond Earth to the Moon, and also to Mars
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  and beyond. Now, the upcoming weeks will be
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  pivotal for SpaceX and the Starship program.
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  With the FA A's technical investigation concluded, all
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  eyes will be on how swiftly SpaceX can implement the
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  recommended changes and secure the necessary permissions for
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  the next test launch. For Elon Musk and SpaceX, the
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  clock's ticking, especially when you consider the ambitious
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  timelines they've set for themselves, including the
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  Artemis 3 flight planned for 2025.
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  Now, the Artemis 3 mission represents A pivotal moment in
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  America's renewed commitment to lunar exploration, slated to
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  carry astronauts to the moon surface for the first time since
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  1972. And NASA has been collaborating
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  with SpaceX, among other partners, to ensure that this
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  historic journey comes to fruition.
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  The mission aims to land American astronauts near the
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  moon South Pole, a region yet unexplored by humans but thought
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  to contain frozen water and other vital resources.
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  The goal of Artemis 3 is to go beyond mere exploration.
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  They include testing new technologies that would pave the
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  way for sustainable lunar settlement and future missions
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  to Mars. And in terms of hardware, the
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  Starship Human Landing System, the HLS developed by SpaceX
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  plays a huge role in the Artemis 3 mission.
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  This particular version of the Starship is tailored for the
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  unique environments and the requirements of lunar travel,
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  including the ability to operate in the Moon's vacuum conditions.
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  SpaceX has already made strides improving the capabilities of
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  its Starship HLS by successfully testing the vacuum optimized
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  Raptor engines simulating key aspects of landing on the Moon.
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  These preparatory steps build on Spacex's existing work with
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  Raptor engine designed to be flexible enough to adapt from
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  sea level conditions to the vacuum of space.
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  And the success of RMS3 could not only rewrite our
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  understanding of the Moon, but also lay the foundation for
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  subsequent missions under the Artemis program and following
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  RMS3. NASA has already scheduled
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  Artemis 4 for 2028 or 2029, with plans for a more extended stay
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  on the lunar surface. Moreover, a successful Artemis 3
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  would cement Spacex's role as the primary contractor for NASA,
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  substantiating the private sector's capability in
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  contributing to space exploration on a unprecedented
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  scale. Achieving the missions goals
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  would undoubtedly galvanize global interest in space travel,
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  stimulating investment, innovation and public enthusiasm
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  for what lies beyond our Earth's realm.
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  Thank you so much for joining us here on the Elon Musk Podcast.
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  We've talked about SpaceX and the FAA substantially this week.
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  So please, if you enjoy SpaceX, hit the subscribe button or the
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  follow button on whatever podcast platform you're on right
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  now. It's free and it takes just a
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  second. And until next time, please take
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  care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you in the
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  next one.