FAA and Fish & Wildlife approve further launches of Starship/Superheav at Boca Chica
The April Starship/Superheavy flight plan. Click for original image.
The slightly revised flight plan for flight two can be found here.
Starship stacked on Superheavy, September 5, 2023,
when Elon Musk said it was ready for launch
UPDATE: The FAA has now issued the launch licence [pdf]. Note it adds that the FAA and Fish & Wildlife have imposed new requirements (as noted in the announcements below) on SpaceX on this and future launches, all of which will have to be reviewed after each launch.
Original post:
————————-
Both the FAA and the Fish & Wildlife department of the Interior Departiment today released their completed investigations of the environmental impacts created by the first test launch of SpaceX’s Starship/Superheavy rocket in April 2023, and (not surprisingly) concluded that the launch did no harm, and that a second launch can be allowed.
The FAA report can be found here [pdf]. The Fish & Wildlife report can be found here [pdf]. Both essentially come to the same conclusion — though in minute detail — that Fish and Wildlife had determined in April 2023, only a week after that first test launch.
No debris was found on lands belonging to the refuge itself, but the agency said debris was spread out over 385 acres belonging to SpaceX and Boca Chica State Park. A fire covering 3.5 acres also started south of the pad on state park land, but the Fish and Wildlife Service didn’t state what caused the fire or how long it burned.
There was no evidence, though, that the launch and debris it created harmed wildlife. “At this time, no dead birds or wildlife have been found on refuge-owned or managed lands,” the agency said. [emphasis mine]
In other words, the investigation for the past seven months was merely to complete the paperwork, in detail, for these obvious conclusions then.
As part of the FAA action today, it also issued range restrictions for a November 17, 2023 test launch at Boca Chica. Though there is no word yet of the issuance of an actual launch license, it appears one will be issued, and SpaceX is prepared for launch that day, with a 2.5 hourlong launch window, opening at 7 am (Central). SpaceX has already announced that its live stream will begin about 30 minutes before launch, at this link as well as on X.
Hat tip to BtB’s stringer Jay and my reader Jestor Naybor for these links.
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
The April Starship/Superheavy flight plan. Click for original image.
The slightly revised flight plan for flight two can be found here.
Starship stacked on Superheavy, September 5, 2023,
when Elon Musk said it was ready for launch
UPDATE: The FAA has now issued the launch licence [pdf]. Note it adds that the FAA and Fish & Wildlife have imposed new requirements (as noted in the announcements below) on SpaceX on this and future launches, all of which will have to be reviewed after each launch.
Original post:
————————-
Both the FAA and the Fish & Wildlife department of the Interior Departiment today released their completed investigations of the environmental impacts created by the first test launch of SpaceX’s Starship/Superheavy rocket in April 2023, and (not surprisingly) concluded that the launch did no harm, and that a second launch can be allowed.
The FAA report can be found here [pdf]. The Fish & Wildlife report can be found here [pdf]. Both essentially come to the same conclusion — though in minute detail — that Fish and Wildlife had determined in April 2023, only a week after that first test launch.
No debris was found on lands belonging to the refuge itself, but the agency said debris was spread out over 385 acres belonging to SpaceX and Boca Chica State Park. A fire covering 3.5 acres also started south of the pad on state park land, but the Fish and Wildlife Service didn’t state what caused the fire or how long it burned.
There was no evidence, though, that the launch and debris it created harmed wildlife. “At this time, no dead birds or wildlife have been found on refuge-owned or managed lands,” the agency said. [emphasis mine]
In other words, the investigation for the past seven months was merely to complete the paperwork, in detail, for these obvious conclusions then.
As part of the FAA action today, it also issued range restrictions for a November 17, 2023 test launch at Boca Chica. Though there is no word yet of the issuance of an actual launch license, it appears one will be issued, and SpaceX is prepared for launch that day, with a 2.5 hourlong launch window, opening at 7 am (Central). SpaceX has already announced that its live stream will begin about 30 minutes before launch, at this link as well as on X.
Hat tip to BtB’s stringer Jay and my reader Jestor Naybor for these links.
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
WooHoo!! I hope that they launch Friday and have a nearly flawless mission.
I’m looking forward to it. This will be a celebration and spectacular.
The license has been issued: https://www.faa.gov/media/69476
David Eastman: Post updated. Thank you.
Excitement guaranteed and success is certainlyone of the possible outcomes. I too hope it goes well but remember, this is just the 2nd launch of an admittedly evolving prototype rocket of enormous complexity and some to much failure should not be surprising.
SpaceX embodies the motto of my undergrad alma mater, Learn by Doing. And in the unforgettable words of one of my favorite professors “The man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.” So if all does not proceed just like clockwork do not fret. SpaceX knows what they are doing and will figure it out.
Go SpaceX, Go Starship/Super Heavy!
I’m going to be counting the number of engines firing on the climb-out. Considering the Falcon Heavy has 27 engines and has always had all 27 firing, it isn’t unreasonable to expect a target of 33/33 firing for Superheavy.
Whether that target will be achieved on the second flight is the question. The Raptor is after all less mature than the Merlin at this point.
Elon … this time, don’t forget the music!
https://youtu.be/nIpXYU-9CBM?si=W24STGPJFUJC2ZBT
Did you see the poor seal with headphones they had strapped to a board?
TERRIBLE NEWS – Biden Wants New Rules Over Commercial Spaceflights
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/biden-wants-new-rules-over-commercial-spaceflights/ar-AA1jYbWC?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=02be51386cd54ff4b13b6e4b762c521d&ei=17
Before you celebrate too much, note that SpaceX does NOT have blanket approval for future launches and they can clamp down at any time and that SpaceX will have to meet the new requirements before they can launch Starship.
“FAA and Fish & Wildlife have imposed new requirements (as noted in the announcements below) on SpaceX on this and future launches, all of which will have to be reviewed after each launch.”
Further bad news “Biden Wants New Rules For Commercial Spaceflight”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/biden-wants-new-rules-over-commercial-spaceflights/ar-AA1jYbWC
For those who say, “well that makes sense”, allow me to point out that the Camel’s nose in the tent. While these ideas may make sense for a mature industry, commercial spaceflight is still largely experimental.
Col Beausabre: I will post this tomorrow. Thank you.
Bob, Thank you for running a superb site! BTW, who in the FAA or DOT has the technical expertise to make these judgements?
Just spotted this – Powerful Magnetic Storm to Hit Earth Tomorrow”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/powerful-magnetic-storm-to-hit-earth-tomorrow/ar-AA1jYZMQ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=ec0463b356934bcd971b0b1eeec3be2d&ei=142
I want photos of that seal to be Twitter/X’s new mascot…not Dogecoin dog.
The start is postponed to Saturday. A fin actuator is defective and needs to be replaced. The 8th destacking is underway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXEHWGi1WwM
Attempt has been rescheduled to Saturday to replace a grid fin actuator that failed in testing this morning.