We're going to Mars! SpaceX wins FAA approval for Starship launch

[Elderberry]

Interesting Engineering  By  Brad Bergan 6/13/2022

We're one step closer to setting foot on the Red Planet.

It's finally happening.

SpaceX can officially launch its colossal Mars rocket — Starship — into orbit from South Texas, according to an environmental review from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), released on Monday.

The agency concluded that Elon Musk's private aerospace firm's aims to execute orbital launches of Starship pose "no significant impact" on the region throughout the Gulf Coast near Brownsville, Texas.

While 75 more items of action must be completed to reduce the ecological impact of the surrounding environment from Starship launches, this means Musk's aims to send humans to Mars — in addition to SpaceX's forthcoming missions with NASA to return humans to the moon — is finally locked down.

So strap in, and prepare for the next phase of Space Race 2.0.

SpaceX's Starship is cleared for its path to Mars

As a next-generation launch system, SpaceX's Starship will be a central pillar of NASA's Artemis project, which aims to return humans to the moon, and take us even farther into deep space. Most crucially, to build a settlement on Mars. But now, with the FAA's approval, Musk's firm has a gateway to this future on its hands.

This isn't without a few provisos — for one, SpaceX must give earlier notice of its launches. It must also take care to monitor the effects on wildlife and vegetation of the region by coordinating biologists with state and federal agencies, while ensuring that all launch debris is safely removed from sensitive habitats. Notably, lighting in the region must be adjusted to reduce its impact on wildlife, in addition to a nearby beach.

The FAA's measures also demand SpaceX limit its closures of a highway that's near the launch site so that ordinary people can still go to the nearby beach, park, and enjoy the wildlife refuge. One wonders why Elon Musk wanted to build a giant rocket launch facility near a wildlife refuge, but these things happen. Regardless, the FAA said the highway couldn't be shut down on 18 holidays, in addition to no more than five weekends annually.

More: https://interestingengineering.com/mars-spacex-faa-starship-launch

[Elderberry]

Elon Musk says SpaceX will have Starship ‘ready to fly’ in July, amid FAA work

CNBC by Michael Sheetz 6/14/2022

Key Points

•   Elon Musk said the company will have a Starship prototype rocket “ready to fly” by July, with his space venture aiming to reach orbit with the vehicle for the first time.

•   The FAA made a crucial environmental decision on Monday that concluded a long-awaited assessment of the Starship program.

•   The company is developing its nearly 400-foot-tall, reusable Starship rocket with the goal of carrying cargo and people beyond Earth.

SpaceX is closing in on the next major milestone in its Starship rocket development, as the company works to complete environmental impact requirements outlined this week by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Elon Musk on Tuesday said the company will have a Starship prototype rocket “ready to fly” by July, with his space venture aiming to reach orbit with the vehicle for the first time.

SpaceX had hoped to conduct the Starship orbital flight test as early as last summer, but delays in development progress and regulatory approval steadily pushed back that timeline. The FAA made a crucial environmental decision Monday that concluded a long-awaited assessment of the program. SpaceX needs to fulfill more than 75 of the agency’s actions before applying for the launch license required for the flight test.

More: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/14/elon-musk-spacex-starship-ready-to-fly-by-july.html