Starship launch still stalled by FAA
According to a tweet by Elon Musk today, Starship will be ready for its first orbital test launch in a few weeks.
Musk also noted however that SpaceX is still awaiting the FAA’s launch license, and because of this he now expects the launch in the third week in April.
Why it is taking months for the FAA to issue this license is disturbing, and suggests that under the Biden administration the feds are behaving more and more like the incompetent Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, which stonewalled Virgin Orbit’s launch for months so that the company now sits on the verge of bankruptcy.
Hat tip to BtB’s stringer Jay for this story, who will be gone for the next two weeks on vacation. Have fun Jay.
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
According to a tweet by Elon Musk today, Starship will be ready for its first orbital test launch in a few weeks.
Musk also noted however that SpaceX is still awaiting the FAA’s launch license, and because of this he now expects the launch in the third week in April.
Why it is taking months for the FAA to issue this license is disturbing, and suggests that under the Biden administration the feds are behaving more and more like the incompetent Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, which stonewalled Virgin Orbit’s launch for months so that the company now sits on the verge of bankruptcy.
Hat tip to BtB’s stringer Jay for this story, who will be gone for the next two weeks on vacation. Have fun Jay.
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
But still.
Musk and another SpaceX VP are predicting “towards the end of April”
Hotels are on speed dial and reservations at Rocket Ranch Observation site been in place for 2 years.
Fingers crossed
Advantages that Elon Musk, like President Trump have are that they are both really smart, they are 3D chess masters, and they love a good fight.
The government bureaucrats attacking them are cowardly idiots.
The rumor is that President Trump is going to get arrested by the Democrats next week on drummed up political charges. Elon Musk tweeted about this “If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory”
A meme to add a little 3D chess flavoring to the discussion:
https://bit.ly/40fKkuX
What an incredible time to be alive.
There was a section of swamp land water shed that was for sale right next to the launch site. I found it one day looking for land in Texas.
it was something like 500 acres a real cheap, but it came with total building restrictions and had to stay accessible to biologists and boat traffic.
If I had a boat it would have made a great place to watch launches from.
pzatchok,
Some friends own some Maine land that only allows a wooden tent platform and a tent not more than 3 months a year. Very low taxes and no services but nice, if you like being fly food. My son went a couple times to help with construction.
Here is more on the cumbersome process of launching something into space:
https://www.floridadaily.com/florida-congressmen-bring-back-bill-cutting-regulations-on-private-companies-wanting-to-launch-rockets/
Congressman Darren Soto, D-Fla., has sponsored a bill that will, in his words, “will eliminate unnecessary barriers that hamper the ability of private companies to obtain spectrum licenses required to launch rockets from the United States including locally at Cape Canaveral.”
This would certainly seem helpful, but what can be done about malingering at the FAA?