FAA Approves SpaceX Starship Launch for Sunday


Karnataka News


Previously, SpaceX needed a separate license for each rocket launch. With the latest license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the company can now conduct multiple launches, as long as it doesn’t change its procedures.

SpaceX is preparing for the third launch of its next-generation Starship spacecraft, which is mounted on the Super Heavy rocket. This uncrewed test flight will take place from the Boca Chica launchpad near Brownsville, Texas.

On Saturday, the FAA granted a new license that includes requirements to protect local wildlife, such as bird nests, in nearby state parks and a National Wildlife Refuge. This decision comes after weeks of pressure from Elon Musk to expedite the FAA’s review process. The next test flight is scheduled for as early as 8 AM Eastern Time on Sunday.

Previously, SpaceX was required to obtain a separate license for each rocket launch. However, with its latest license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now allows the company to conduct multiple launches, provided it doesn’t change its procedures.

Starship, the largest rocket ever built, has yet to carry humans into space as its reliability is still being evaluated. This is the same spacecraft that Elon Musk is contracted to use for landing NASA astronauts on the moon, and he also envisions it being used for future human missions to Mars.

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Environmental Concerns Surrounding SpaceX’s South Texas Launch Site

While prototypes and full-scale versions of Starship have been tested at SpaceX’s launch site near the Gulf of Mexico in South Texas, there have been significant environmental impacts on the region. This was highlighted in a July investigation by The New York Times.

The report in the Times examined, in part, damage that a Starship launch in June caused to the fragile migratory bird habitat surrounding the launch site, including destroying eggs in nearby nests.

After the story was published, Musk made fun of the findings. “To make up for this heinous crime, I will refrain from having omelette for a week,” he wrote in a social media post.

But the FAA announced Saturday, as it issued the launch license, that SpaceX had agreed to conduct studies, beginning with this next launch, of the plume of pea-sized gravel the rocket sends out into the adjacent state park “to determine the distance of the gravel plume and methods for protecting nests during launch events.”

SpaceX plans to use drones equipped with infrared cameras during launches to detect animal nesting sites and will deploy environmental engineers before and after each launch to check for any damage to birds or their nests. Additionally, if approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, SpaceX may be required to set up temporary shelters to protect these nests during launches, according to the FAA’s environmental report released on Saturday.

The upcoming Starship launch, scheduled for Sunday, will be its fifth full-scale test. For the first time, SpaceX plans to have the Super Heavy booster rocket return to the Texas launch site, where it will be caught midair by moving arms attached to the launch tower, which SpaceX has nicknamed “chopsticks.” The company also intends to drop a 20,000-pound stainless-steel heat shield from the rocket into the Gulf Coast, landing much closer to shore than previously allowed, where it will sink upon impact.

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Heightened Environmental Concerns Amid Increased Launch Activity

This launch, which involves both takeoff and landing at the same site, is expected to produce louder noise and more intense air pressure in surrounding communities than previous launches. The FAA’s report concluded that the combined effects of the rocket’s movements will lead to heightened disturbances for the local environment and nearby areas.

The agency reasserted that animals “may exhibit a brief startle response” to the disruptions, but that “direct physical injury or death of wildlife” is not expected.

The fish and wildlife agency, in a separate letter released Saturday, concurred. But it asserted that “the new sonic boom information may affect but is not likely to adversely affect, the species and critical habitats.”

The Environmental Protection Agency separately moved last month to fine SpaceX $148,378 for improperly disposing of water discharged from a system intended to muffle noise and prevent fires during the launch. SpaceX has disputed the allegation, calling it “disagreements over paperwork,” but agreed to pay the fine. “We chose to settle so that we can focus our energy on completing the missions,” the company said.

Local community groups and national environmental associations have filed lawsuits claiming that the FAA and SpaceX broke environmental protection laws. These lawsuits are still ongoing. Local activists have expressed dissatisfaction with the agency’s recent actions.

“These are token measures to make it look like they are serious about environmental protection,” said Jim Chapman, a member of the board of a local group, called Save RGV in reference to the Rio Grande Valley, that filed two of the lawsuits. “It’s all a way to not slow SpaceX down.”

Separate from Saturday’s action, the FAA is still considering a request by SpaceX to allow it to increase launches from the Texas site from five a year to 25.

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