Hi everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Elon Musk podcast. Today we're peeling back the curtain a little bit on Spacex's grand plans and a little bit of drama that's going on with the next generation of their spacecraft. The Starship. Seems like Elon Musk and the SpaceX team are also pushing boundaries down at Boca Chica Starbase, Texas.
From successfully landing and reusing Falcon 9 rocket boosters to planning uncrued missions to Mars, this company has been hitting milestone after milestone and continues to progress day in, day out. But things haven't always moved smoothly, and timelines often stretch beyond original projections. In this episode, we'll discuss the hurdles, updates, and future plans of Spacex's Starship. Now, SpaceX has established itself as a pioneer in the
commercial space sector. Last year, the company managed to conduct 70 launches using Falcon 9 rockets, each featuring a reusable booster stage, and this innovation and reusability has significantly cut down costs, allowing for more frequent launch schedules. However, Musk is not a stranger to setbacks. Promises of timelines often outpace actual progress, and ambitious projects can run into
delays. Back in 2016, during an International Astronomical Congress and Guadalajara, Mexico, Musk revealed Spacex's initial designs for what was then called the Interplanetary Transport System or the ITS aim was for the first uncrewed landing on Mars to occur in 2022, followed by the 1st flight with people on board in 2024. Fast forward to today, and although there has been a test flight of Starship, it didn't go very smoothly.
The spacecraft lost control during its ascent, leading to its detonation for safety reasons. Now a second Starship is already on standby. According to Musk, the next move now depends on the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected to issue a new launch license sometime soon, And Musk shared some updates on Starship design. The second stage engines will ignite before separation from the booster, this time, a procedure known as hot staging, designed for maximum efficiency.
But it's also a complicated operation that could lead to unexpected challenges. And while SpaceX has been known for its engineering progress, navigating through regulatory frameworks remains very challenging. The company is currently awaiting approval from the FAA for the next IFT 2 Starship test flight from Boca Chica Starbase, Texas. And this isn't the only
regulatory hurdle, though. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has received a final biological assessment from the FAA, initiating a 30 day review period that could be extended to the spring of 2024 under certain conditions and according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, reinitiation of formal consultation under the Endangered Species Act is necessary when there's significant change in a project
and its impacts. This review is a result of Spacex's newly implemented Water Dillard system, part of a list of 63 corrective actions recommended after the unsuccessful launch of the first Starship test flight.
This new system has already been deployed during static fire tests of Booster 9, which is set to be the next SpaceX launch vehicle, and Elon Musk is no longer explicitly stating that humans will be on Mars by 2024. However, he does have other ambitious plans for Starship. One such goal is the quick turn around between launches, which would involve catching the Super heavy booster in the Starship upper stage in mid air after
they returned from the missions. Musk says that it's a decent chance of this happening within the next year. Now. Additionally, SpaceX is planning to launch its next generation Starlink satellites using expendable versions of the Starship. Now, the question that still remains unanswered is when will Starship land NASA astronauts on the moon?
While Musk acknowledged that a lunar Lander version is in the works, he emphasized that the design will not deviate much from a spacecraft intended for Mars missions. Now Artemis 3, NASA's program to land astronauts on the moon, is currently scheduled for late 2025, but it could be pushed
back further. Spacex's Starship was chosen as the human landing system for this mission, and a senior SpaceX official noted that there is a backlog with FAA work leading to delays in the licensing progress in the process and Starship. This could have ripple effects in the art of his program's timeline as well, and there's also political pressure mounting for SpaceX, especially as its vice president of build and flight reliability is set to
testify before the Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science. This hearing will likely cover a range of issues, from suborbital flights to lunar surface habitats, and is crucial for SpaceX. As it continues to push the envelope in space exploration technologies. And in the labyrinth of these regulations and bureaucratic obstacles, SpaceX is finding itself at the crossroads of innovation and policy. This testimony isn't just about SpaceX, it's a marker for the
entire industries. Companies like Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and others will also weigh in shaping the conversation from suborbital tourism to long term lunar habitation. Now, this juncture is particularly pivotal for Spacex's Starship program. The Human Landing system for NASA's Artemis missions is in play here, and according to SpaceX officials, the snail's pace of FAA approvals has become a critical path item, putting pressure on an already challenging Artemis timeline.
Now, the need for a series of demonstration flights, ranging from ship to ship refueling to uncrewed lunar landings means that the FAA's foot dragging could stretch these critical months into very critical years. And to navigate these hurdles, SpaceX and its industry counterparts will have to advocate not just for the individual ventures, but for a more streamlined regulatory framework that accommodates the unique demands and potentials of commercial spaceflight.
Now, this is not just about reaching Mars or going back to the moon. It's about shaping the rules and the expectations that will govern humanity's access to space for decades to come, not just for astronauts, but for normal people like you and me. And as SpaceX deals with an ever changing timetable subject to the whims of regulatory bodies and the realities of technological innovation, they find themselves in a challenging yet pivotal position.
Musk's dreams of interplanetary travel in a new aerospace exploration hinged not only on the hardware his company is so adept at creating, but also on a broader regulatory environment that is agile enough to keep pace with the speed of modern innovation. Now, thank you so much for listening to the show today. Don't forget to hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast platform you're listening on right now. It's free, takes a second, and
helps us out tremendously. And remember, every episode is 10 minutes or less to keep you up to date on all things Elon Musk and SpaceX. So please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you in the next one tomorrow.