Blue Origin to FAA: Limit future SpaceX Starship launches at Cape Canaveral
Blue Origin has once again decided to use lawfare against SpaceX rather than actually build rockets that are competitive. As part of the process by the FAA to do a new Environmental Impact Statement on SpaceX’s plans for Starship/Superheavy launches at Cape Canaveral, Blue Origin last week submitted its own comment asking the FAA to cap the launches of its competitor, citing environment concerns.
The company recommends the following mitigation method for SpaceX’s Starship launches, prior to the company being issued a Vehicle Operator License:
“Capping the rate of Ss-SH launch, landing, and other operations, including but not limited to test firings, transport operations, and fueling, to a number that has a minimal impact on the local environment, locally operating personnel, and the local community, in consideration of all risks and impacts, including but not limited to anomaly risks, air toxin and hazardous materials dispersion, road closures, and heat and noise generation.”
Along with requesting a max number of Starship launches at the site, Blue Origin argues that the government increase launch infrastructure that opens other launchpads to nearby lessees when roads are forced to be closed for SpaceX launches. The filing also notes that SpaceX has already received environmental testing at its Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas.
You can read Blue Origin’s full comment here [pdf]. Essentially, Blue Origin is attempting to use this new impact statement to have the federal government damage or destroy its competition.
Musk’s response was a two word tweet: “Sue Origin.”
It is very clear that Jeff Bezos’s company is poorly focused. In the last decade it has built almost nothing, while spending a lot of time filing lawsuits against its competition. This action is simply another example.
Worse, Blue Origin’s comment will provide ammunition for the continuing Biden administration lawfare against Musk and SpaceX, making it difficult for the FAA to approve the impact statement as requested by SpaceX. If so, the development and operational use of Starship/Superheavy will be seriously threatened.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Blue Origin has once again decided to use lawfare against SpaceX rather than actually build rockets that are competitive. As part of the process by the FAA to do a new Environmental Impact Statement on SpaceX’s plans for Starship/Superheavy launches at Cape Canaveral, Blue Origin last week submitted its own comment asking the FAA to cap the launches of its competitor, citing environment concerns.
The company recommends the following mitigation method for SpaceX’s Starship launches, prior to the company being issued a Vehicle Operator License:
“Capping the rate of Ss-SH launch, landing, and other operations, including but not limited to test firings, transport operations, and fueling, to a number that has a minimal impact on the local environment, locally operating personnel, and the local community, in consideration of all risks and impacts, including but not limited to anomaly risks, air toxin and hazardous materials dispersion, road closures, and heat and noise generation.”
Along with requesting a max number of Starship launches at the site, Blue Origin argues that the government increase launch infrastructure that opens other launchpads to nearby lessees when roads are forced to be closed for SpaceX launches. The filing also notes that SpaceX has already received environmental testing at its Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas.
You can read Blue Origin’s full comment here [pdf]. Essentially, Blue Origin is attempting to use this new impact statement to have the federal government damage or destroy its competition.
Musk’s response was a two word tweet: “Sue Origin.”
It is very clear that Jeff Bezos’s company is poorly focused. In the last decade it has built almost nothing, while spending a lot of time filing lawsuits against its competition. This action is simply another example.
Worse, Blue Origin’s comment will provide ammunition for the continuing Biden administration lawfare against Musk and SpaceX, making it difficult for the FAA to approve the impact statement as requested by SpaceX. If so, the development and operational use of Starship/Superheavy will be seriously threatened.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
This is just plain dirty pool by Blue Origin, the sort of low-down crooked effort that criminals take.
I learned this morning that ULA filed a similar statement to the FAA. If you can’t beat them, go to lawfare.
Supervillain Lex Luthor is still trying to prevent humanity from becoming multi planetary.
He should try to get his rocket company working instead.
Should all the retailers, whether struggling or successful, write to the Federal Trade Commission and to the governors of the states in which they operate, in order to complain about Amazon.com and Whole Foods?
There’s a name for that
“Rent seeking is an economic concept where an entity seeks to gain wealth without contributing any productivity in return. Essentially, it’s about trying to improve one’s riches at the expense of society. Imagine a company lobbying the government for grants, subsidies, or tariff protection—that’s a classic example of rent seeking. In more colloquial terms, it’s like privilege seeking—trying to secure financial gains through cunning or manipulative resource management1. So, when you encounter situations where someone benefits without creating value, you’re witnessing rent-seeking behavior.”
All Space X has to do is quietly mention that if it gets any more restrictions it will have to drop all non Space X launches first and concentrate on its own network installation.
The military will then quietly make a few mentions of its own. Add in any other operation that wants to put something in space.
Beyond disgusting. How about building rockets and launching them? No environmental impact from Blue at present as nothing gets launched into orbit.
Thanks Col for the explanation of the term rent seeking. I learn a lot from Robert Z and many of the commenters on BTB.
Tom, Thank you for for kind comment. Learning is one reason I keep coming back
”I learned this morning that ULA filed a similar statement to the FAA. If you can’t beat them, go to lawfare.”
ULA’s complaint is that the blast radius for a Starship is so large that they would have to evacuate LC-41 every time a Starship is fueled for either launch or testing. At the rate SpaceX wants to launch Starship that would make ULA’s launch facility unusable.
It’s a valid complaint.
“At the rate SpaceX wants to launch Starship that would make ULA’s launch facility unusable.”
At the rate SpaceX wants to launch Starship, ULA’s launch facility is useless and pointless.
Apparently I didn’t properly close a tag. My apologies.
Bob: feel free to close the tag and delete this message.
”At the rate SpaceX wants to launch Starship, ULA’s launch facility is useless and pointless.”
ULA has every right to use their own launch facility. SpaceX has no right to take that from them.
I would also point out that BO is actively damaging SpaceX. SpaceX has to divert resources and management and staff time that could be used to improve the product offered to the customers to fighting this frivolous attempt to block its operations. It’s a tactic beloved of the Left, particularly “environmentalists”. Death by a thousand cuts as the process drags out into infinity. You get rid of one obstacle and another is thrown in your face.
What is particularly galling to me is the way the detrimental impact on the economy, jobs, the space program and, yes, national security is ignored.
What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.
Any restrictions placed against a proven product, Will be doubly applied to an “experimental one” from a rivaling rocket maker. In other words, they’re suggesting a noose for SpaceX that will fit their own necks better!
Perhaps they believe with the money spent on politicians and lobbyist will pay off for them in a public private partnership “exclusive deal” to give them the inside track. (We will see how well that works for Europe)
China’s model of a public private partnership has benefited them in the short run… “Results or else” with no regard for human life, safety, or environment. It is an effective deterrent to fat and lazy, until their leader/emperor dies. The current government jobs eventually turn into “welfare positions” where your goal in life is to save your job for your kids and grandchildren. (Kind of what happened to NASA, which became a Muslim out reach?)
Amazon will get no business from me.
They need boycotting.
“Perhaps they believe with the money spent on politicians and lobbyist will pay off for them in a public private partnership “exclusive deal” to give them the inside track. (We will see how well that works for Europe)
aka fascism. Government doesn’t own the means of production but directs what they are to do.
“Amazon will get no business from me.
They need boycotting”
As the economy gets worse, so does the retail sales.
The online services is their growth market (still comes in behind Microsoft and Google) and this is who’s buying it.
“The cloud is where the real profit lies
Generating over $23 billion in sales last quarter, Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides businesses and governments with various tech infrastructure services, like computing power, storage capacity, and database management. Compared to investing in IT tools on-site, these cloud computing customers benefit from lower costs and from having the flexibility to adjust their needs up or down at any time. This frees up capital that would otherwise be tied up in long-term projects.”
“AWS, whose clients include Walt Disney, Verizon Communications, and Capital One, is tiny (as measured by revenue) when compared to the company overall. But its profitability is notable. The segment posted a stellar 30% operating margin in Q3, generating $7 billion in Q3 operating income. For comparison’s sake, Amazon as a whole reported $11.2 billion in operating income last quarter.“
https://www.fool.com/investing/2024/01/21/where-amazon-generates-most-operating-profit/
I would be worried about banks and large corporations in public private partnership‘s (yes, “fascism”) and the fact that they made the new version of “quantitative easing” of available cash, with “Buy In”where it’s legal to steal your investors/customers money to stay solvent.
Perhaps Blue Origin was trying to influence this bid?
https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/26/spacex-scores-843m-nasa-contract-to-deorbit-iss-in-2030/
I think it would be a waste to destroy ISS. Push it to a higher orbit to be used for private use or as a staging base to build a larger facilities for moon/Mars construction.
Even if the interior it’s no longer habitable, they can park their “Tesla drones” there to use the solar panels for a battery recharging station? eventually it will be the central feature in a future “world historical site”, to be displayed next to the first Apollo landing.
Do all of the launch facilities and production buildings shut down for safety reasons when a launch goes off? Or just those closest.
Is this the first time BOs facility was shut down for safety reasons? You would think they would be cleared out for every launch.
If you think about it every airport in america should clear out a down range area over a mile long and a mile wide at the top and bottom of every runway.