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FAA releases info about SpaceX clearance to Launch Starship flight 2 · Elon Musk Podcast

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  Hi everybody. Welcome back to the show.
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  We are continuing our week of Starship coverage here, and
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  today we got some really great information from the FAA.
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  Now SpaceX is on the brink of a pivotal moment as it prepares
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  for their second test flight of its Starship mega rocket, a
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  crucial element in the company's ambitious space exploration
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  plans. And the Federal Aviation
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  Administration recently cleared SpaceX for their upcoming
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  mission, setting the stage for potential launch on November
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  17th from the Boca Chica Starbase facility in Texas, with
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  a backup date November 18th and the 19th.
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  This follows a period of intense scrutiny and required corrective
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  actions after the first Test flight in April ended in the
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  rocket's destruction. Now the Starship, standing at
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  about 400 feet tall, represents a huge leap in rocket
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  technology. It's not only central to
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  Spacex's mission for future space missions, including
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  potential Mars expeditions, but also for NASA's Artemis program,
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  more particular Artemis 3, and this launch, if it does happen,
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  will push them forward to an earlier launch date.
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  For Artemis 3, however, the road to this point has been very
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  challenging. The FAA demanded 63 corrective
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  actions from SpaceX following their April incident, which saw
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  the rocket disintegrate over the Gulf of Mexico and the
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  launchpad. Damage and delayed activation of
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  the self destruct mechanism during the first flight prompted
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  thorough investigations and safety overhauls for the ship
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  and for the ground systems. And in preparation for the
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  second flight, SpaceX has implemented numerous changes
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  including the construction of a water cooled steel flame
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  deflector to protect the launch mount.
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  Additionally, the rocket self destruct system has been refined
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  for quick reactivation and a hot stage separation system has been
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  introduced to ensure smoother transitions during ascent.
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  Now these modifications along with the completion of
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  environmental reviews suggest SpaceX is closer to meeting all
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  regulatory requirements for this flight.
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  And as SpaceX readies for the 2nd test flight of the Starship
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  rocket, a comprehensive plan outlines every stage of this
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  mission. Propellant loading will be in
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  approximately one hour and 37 minutes before launch, with a
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  critical engine chill phase starting at T -, 19 minutes and
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  40 seconds. This procedure is crucial for
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  conditioning the engines for the Super cold propellants, and in a
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  change from the first flight, the ignition sequence of the
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  Raptor engines will start at t -, 3 seconds, compared to the
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  previous eight second countdown. This modification aims to reduce
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  potential launch mount damage The following liftoff.
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  The rocket will face its first major test at Max Q, the point
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  of maximum aerodynamic pressure, my favorite part of the flight,
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  which occurs 52 seconds into the flight.
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  Another crucial moment. Miko main engine cut off will
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  happen at 2 minutes and 30 seconds, marking the shutdown of
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  the Raptor engine. This leads to the booster's
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  boost back burn start up at 2 minutes and 53 seconds.
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  Just 23 seconds later, which is a maneuver preparing it for a
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  simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Starship upper
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  stage will then continue its journey, eventually splashing
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  down at the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
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  This test, however, does not include a full Earth orbit.
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  Now every phase of this mission, especially the hot staging and
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  RE entry maneuvers, is critical for Space XS future plans.
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  The success of these stages will provide valuable insights into
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  the Starship's capabilities and the limitations of the ground
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  systems. The booster and Ship 25 and the
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  upcoming test flight of the Starship is more than just
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  another launch. The success of this mission is
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  pivotal for the company's broader goals, including Mars
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  missions and the role in its Artemis program with NASA and
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  the Starship's power and the potential for reusability make
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  it a game changer. However, the 2nd test flight
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  carries its own set of challenges and uncertainties.
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  Key concerns include the performance of these Raptor
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  engines, the effectiveness of the hot staging process, and the
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  rocket's ability to survive re entry.
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  And despite the rigorous preparation and modifications,
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  the possibility of unforeseen issues remains very high.
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  Elon Musk has said that he gives it about a 60% chance of making
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  it to the final destination. Spacex's philosophy of rapid,
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  iterative development means that whatever outcomes emerge from
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  this test will be crucial learning experiences.
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  They're not going to fail. They're going to move forward.
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  And the company has a history of leveraging such experiences to
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  refine and improve its tech, as seen with its Falcon and its
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  Dragon spacecraft and the Starlink satellite network.
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  In essence, this test flight is not just about whether the
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  Starship reaches its intended destination.
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  It's about testing the limits of the ship and the ground systems
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  down at Boca Chica Starbase, Texas.
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  Now the FAA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have closely
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  scrutinized the environmental impact of this launch,
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  particularly focusing on the new implementation of the water
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  deluge system. This system, designed to protect
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  the launch mount, has raised concerns about its potential
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  effects on the surrounding ecosystem.
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  Safety has also been a major emphasis in the preparations for
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  the flight. The first tests aftermath under
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  score the importance of a robust self destruct mechanism which
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  has since been upgraded for quicker response.
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  Furthermore, the introduction of a water cooled steel flame
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  deflector is a direct response to the damage caused to the
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  launch mount in April. The upcoming test will not only
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  be a technical trial, but also a demonstration of how cutting
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  edge space ventures can coexist with the environment and also
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  the safety standards set by the FAA.
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  Now the second flight of Starship holds considerable
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  significance for the whole spaceflight industry.
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  A successful mission would validate the feasibility of
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  reusable rockets on a scale never seen before, potentially
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  reducing the cost of space travel over the next 1020 years.
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  Now, this aligns with Spacex's vision of making space more
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  accessible and launching heavier payloads into space more
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  ambitious missions, including humans colonizing Mars.
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  Moreover, Starship's role in Artemis highlights its potential
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  impact on governmental space missions.
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  Success could revolutionize the way the government's approach
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  space exploration, offering more flexible and cost effective
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  solutions. And could you imagine how big of
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  a telescope you could fit in this thing?
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  And on the flip side, a failure could prompt a re evaluation of
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  the current trajectory of space technology development.
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  It would be a challenge for SpaceX to push the boundaries
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  anymore. Could they get an IFT 3 flight
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  to work properly if this one doesn't go well, That's in the
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  future. Regardless of the outcome, the
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  Starship test flight is set to leave a lasting imprint on
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  SpaceX, NASA and the general public.
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  The space fearing public and that's you and that's me.
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  So they're right on the cusp. This test flight a couple days
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  out and we're all going to be watching.
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  And please check out Space News Pod, that's our YouTube channel
• 6:58
  for Space Flight, and go over there, subscribe, hit the
• 7:01
  button, hit the bell. You know this, the, the whole
• 7:04
  YouTube thing. And we're going to be giving you
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  live coverage. And I do updates throughout this
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  week for the Starship mission. So it's not just about launching
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  a rocket. Whatever the outcome of this
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  flight, it'll provide valuable insights and lessons that will
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  shape what happens about Kachika, what happens with
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  SpaceX and the Starship Super Heavy in the future.
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  So thank you so much for tuning into this episode.
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  Remember to hit the subscribe or the follow button on your
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  favorite podcast platform. It's free, just takes a second,
• 7:33
  and every episode is about 10 minutes or under.
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  It helps you stay informed very quickly and join us next time
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  tomorrow as we continue to bring the latest development and the
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  Starship. This is Starship Week O.
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  Get ready for this launch, possibly Friday, and they do
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  have backups on Saturday and Sunday O, we'll be there for
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  you. Thanks again.
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  Take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you tomorrow.