FAA Starship Approval: The Way Is Cleared For SpaceX!

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Starship's second flight investigation is closed! What happened? Is the way clear for IFT3? Ship 28 conducts a spin prime! What’s next? Another Dragon will visit the ISS soon! And Rocket Lab releases a massive Electron and Neutron update!
#SpaceX #starship #elonmusk #starbase
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Editing: John Young, Alex Potvin, Stefanie Schlang
Photography: John Cargile, John Winkopp & Stefanie Schlang
3D Animation: Voop3D
Script & Research: Eryk Gawron, Oskar Wrobel, Felix Schlang
Host: Felix Schlang
Production: Stefanie & Felix Schlang
Graphics & Media Processing: Jonathan Heuer, Felix Schlang
Credit:
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📄Links for this Episode:
www.spacex.com
www.spacex.com/starship

[@Whataboutit]

Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code FELIX for an extra 3 months free at surfshark.deals/felix How many Starship launches do you believe SpaceX will conduct in 2024, and does the FAA need a reform?

[@matthiasgrunwald895]

Launch attempt next week?

[@szpynda]

max 3

[@Chris_Harris]

If spacex wants to meet starts hips over the ocean nonstop, let t hem! They're the only company doing this which shouldn't tie them down just because everyone else it happy just to take pictures of tiny bits of a new rocket and call that great advancement.

[@dragosgrosu3499]

I hope 5

[@Scanner9631]

@@szpynda max 3 They need fewer changes and less significant ones if they want to do more than 1 every few months. 10 changes for Starship alone for the FAA to approve and more for the booster? Recipe for delays.

[@davidlittle6621]

4 launches would be pretty good, 6 would be AWESOME.

[@mustang607]

The number of Starship launches is directly related to the number of previous Starships launched that do not trigger further "incidents."

[@johnrday2023]

Why stop at 6? Spacex is now talking 9 Starship launches in '24 !

[@Scanner9631]

@@johnrday2023 Why stop at 6? Spacex is now talking 9 Starship launches in '24 ! As per the video anything over 5 requires a new environmental assessment requiring minimum of 1 year.

[@POTheta001]

@@Scanner9631 The US government suuuuucks

[@warrenwhite9085]

SpaceX should launch when it wants. I am sick of this administration’s weaponized, politicized, targeted needless, inane regulatory obstruction/delay of SpaceX’s efforts to make space affordable, make humanity multi-planetary.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

Good Morning, Felix and Team. I watch a LOT of space videos, and YOURS stand out as the Best! By a LOT! Your Studio, editing, research, .... Everything! You even moved to this Country to better cover SpaceX! You have put Everything into your channel. Much Respect!

[@Whataboutit]

Thank you very much! These are the comments that make us continue everyday!

[@RedRyan]

I probably watch even more space videos than you do! And I have to concur, no one else is approaching this like they're an executive upcoming company but Felix does and his team is top notch, they have always produced high quality productions since the very beginning even to the point where most of us ask for bloopers to make sure he was a human and not some kind of a super alien. We love you guys's work and we hope you do this until we all live on Mars

[@2ndfloorsongs]

@@RedRyan Felix IS a space alien and the initial videos are perfect. The bloopers are scripted and created separately so as to give the appearance of imperfection. The flaw in this scheme is that the bloopers come out looking too polished. Felix needs to contract the blooper production out to a human team so that the mistakes look believable.

[@nickcollins1528]

Csi Starbase is the best then probably marcus house

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@nickcollins1528 I really do enjoy CSI Starbase, but his videos go a little long. Marcus house is good too. Many others. But I really relate to Felix somehow...he put his whole Life into these videos.

[@notevenreal971]

Love the Fifth Element reference there lol. Big bada boom!

[@gePanzerTe]

Eh, eh 😎🎶

[@commerce-usa]

Great movie. Chican good. 👍

[@antonioramirez3676]

🚕💥🚓🚖💥🚔💥🎙️🎺📻🎹

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Leeloo Dallas, Moolti-Pahs 🪪🤏🏻 👩🏻‍🦰

[@kstricl]

Considering they likely added extra baffling, i think internal deformation from splashing is most likely cause. Controlling that much mass is critical no matter what interrupted oxidizer flow.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

I was wondering if the fuel could have crushed the filter itself?

[@anthonyjobey8821]

3:09 Love the 5th element reference

[@davidboyle1902]

I love that Neutron rocket. Lots of originality, including that non-throw-away payload fairing. I wish them best of luck.

[@PaulTopping1]

Loved the little clip showing the crow dropping a rock into the water tank. Brilliant!

[@richdurbin6146]

There’s a study that shows crows are smart enough to drop rocks into a jar to raise the water level enough to let them reach floating food.

[@PaulTopping1]

@@richdurbin6146 Sure. I've probably seen the show from which the clip was taken. They are very intelligent.

[@Dm0stFin3sT]

I believe the flip maneuver needs some tweaking to get the propellant sloshing timed up correctly. Starving one of those engines for a split second is catastrophic.

[@benjaminowiadolor8379]

As quickly as possible

[@jasongarcia2140]

What About It and Marcus House are my go to's for starship and aerospace updates!

[@2ndfloorsongs]

Yes, I watch them both. One thing Marcus has over Felix is that cute Tasmanian accent. But don't get me wrong, I love them both.

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@kenpumford754]

Over the course of a design engineering career in the gas and diesel engine business, FOD was a frequent member of the prototype teams. The source of the FOD was either supplier or assembly process debris about 60% of the time, and 40% from design or manufacturing failures that caused component failures that generated debris during engine operation. It's all part of the normal process of developing engines and vehicles for high volume series production.

[@arnoldsmith5754]

thanks for the updates yes not good for a big bada boom no repeats required

[@kensearle4892]

Thank you for the video! To get 10+ launches in a year... Use Parallel Version Approvals in 2 paths... A) Once they have a successful launch version, get FAA approval for multiple launches at that version and keep launching about 1 per month. b) In parallel, keep working on new versions, which is resulting in a slower approval process, maybe get 2-4 launches per year. Once a B) version is Successful it becomes A) while B keeps improving new versions. End Result 10+ launches in a year.

[@camurrio8988]

LET'S GO FELIX AND WAI TEAM, WE ARE GETTING READY FOR THE IFT3!!! THIRD TIME WE WOULD TO BE TE LUCKY ONE!!!

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

Nine sounds like a long shot, I think 5-6 is more realistic. I would guess 5 as changing the paperwork and stage zero aren’t ready for a faster cadence.

[@shoaibhub]

Love your efforts

[@Lhogue46]

Thanks for the Rocket Lab coverage

[@storkstormhawk]

I really appreciated the footage of the mischievous bird hypothetically mucking up the filter. I'm trying to communicate my appreciation in life more, so...

[@mattgaming8717]

Hi all. Great update!

[@thedavid9366]

Felix, you have done very well with this channel. It's been a pleasure following WAI coverage during the past few years. Such an exciting time!...and your coverage continues to get better. Keep it up, I'm always rooting for you and for our common dreams for space exploration to be realized.

[@BusstterNutt]

thanks for the update

[@bd5av8r1]

It was aliens clogging the intakes of the filter :D lol

[@manifold1476]

nightbot

[@antigravityworkshop1436]

Informative as always. Thanks Felix and crew!

[@chiaricharlie6608]

Thanks Felix! Hype! Mars or bust!

[@Whataboutit]

Mars or bust!!!

[@HarryPalmerOrchestra]

4:32 Yes

[@hirobrein445]

RDE can yous Detonation as thrust

[@bizy1628]

I believe in 4 Starship flights this year

[@stephenoakley7870]

I'm going to say 5 this year!

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

I agree with Stephen... I do not forsee SpaceX *_not_* utilizing all of their allowed launches. They've shown to be able to quickly satisfy the FAA's requirements after a calamity, and it seems the FAA has confidence in SpaceX as well, considering the _almost immediate_ acceptance of their report.

[@freemanjewelryworkshop]

Great update Felix 👏 All exciting news :)

[@douginorlando6260]

My educated guess how the filter was blocked is humidity. To remove all water from the tanks, they must be flushed with warm dry nitrogen. If the nitrogen falls below 0 degrees C, then the humidity freezes and can not be flushed out of the tanks. (This guess is based on experience in creating vacuums in large storage tanks for liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen that use double walled thermos vacuum containers to remain cold. Even a little ice in the vacuum prevents an ideal vacuum. This required flushing out humidity with hot dry nitrogen before pumping down to a vacuum). If the tanks started with humid air before filling with propellant, then ice will form. A little bit of ice could collect in the filter and impede flow.

[@wm9782]

Anyone feel that Felix's way of saying things like big ba da boom gives this channel something endearing making it more entertaining and give the content a feel of intelligent content. Reminds me of how I felt as a child watching cartoon and the effect Disney's Ludwig Von Drake gave to the content he presented. Making you feel like you have to listen or you will miss something. Great job Felix love when you host.

[@tomwinston6758]

Good work

[@creedsixteen891]

Can’t wait for the next launch.

[@jeric_synergy8581]

Despite management sluggishness, I'm appreciative of the efforts of the FAA to keep the skies safe. Regulations are written in blood.

[@wyrmh0le]

Not sure how the incident report implies IFT3 might be full-orbital. There's going to a second engine cut-off (SECO) either way.

[@TheNeo2k]

It was the Vulcans, trying to slow us down again....

[@vipertwo2]

thanks for the rocket lab info

[@michaelstreeter3125]

I'd be a bit surprised if the telemetry from the ship to the ground systems only relayed different sensor measurements (accelerometer readings, temp, pressure etc.) and NOT whether the FTS activated. I suppose they can infer whether it did by replaying the information to a FTS control circuit on the ground afterwards but all the same it looks odd when they don't (can't) say whether it did or didn't activate.

[@2ndfloorsongs]

Having the FTS tell them it's going to blow itself up before it does might be considered, even though very small, an extra step that could lead to failures.

[@michaelstreeter3125]

@@2ndfloorsongs yeah.. I know. I'm a software engineer and I've worked in the industry (Inmarsat 3). You could potentially consider logging the event as a part of the (multiprocessing) operation. But I completely understand. When you decide to go boom, boom. Don't mess around with logs!

[@Michael88t]

I really enjoy your programming. it looks wonderful and is so informative. thank you!

[@markhuebner7580]

Awesome details! Great perspectives on lots of problems!

[@Krasinski1]

Loved the Rocket Lab coverage! you should cover their progress more!

[@davenadell1239]

Air bubbles in the fuel flow would cause instability in the fuel pressure and pressure fluctuations in tje lines and the turbo pumps. Basic physics.

[@crosswits1]

Yes the FAA needs reforming and upgrading to the Federal Aerospace Agency, to bring it into the 21st century

[@2ndfloorsongs]

Careful what you wish for, FAA reforms led to the 737 Max.

[@dphuntsman]

No. At the Alliance for Space Development we feel it’s time for space to be taken out of the FAA, and will be taking to Congress in a couple of weeks, during our annual March Storm event, about among other things, elevating the Commercial Space Launch Office out of the FAA entirely and making it its own Bureau (or whatever) within the Department of Transportation, and reporting directly to the Secretary of DOT. It also needs a very real increase in budget; SpaceX testified that its budget should be doubled, and we don’t disagree. - Dave Huntsman

[@briansimmons6832]

Absolutely your correct I've worked on building new aircraft for years and no matter how much cleaning and inspection that is done after a first flight you always find something from tools to metal shavings, making it FOD free is very hard and you can't use the same people that built it to inspect it! Same people same missed FOD😮.

[@robertmargeeweaver]

3 max launches this year for Starship, run a concurrent EIS Revision to allow 1/per month efforts.

[@damonried1720]

That FAA document you highlighted @ 7:47 as proof that the FAA is satisfied with SpaceX's mishap investigation is for the 04/20/23 launch, not the 11/18/23 launch.

[@antonioramirez3676]

A 420 launch would be so elon lol and if i remember correctly theres been several milestone launchs/testing on the dates 4/20/XX so far

[@taavetmalkov3295]

the scooby doo reference was a kicker :D

[@connorspruit6002]

heard the ship might be stacked on the booster before the video came out, went to check the 24/7 nsf live stream. turns out, they are stacking it right now

[@brantuga9915]

Great job on the video keep up the good work

[@Whataboutit]

Thank you!🙏

[@SemKokkelkorn]

The team really nails the editing nowadays! 👏👏

[@kenhelmers2603]

Thanks Felix and co )

[@artofplanets]

I wonder if the tank purges are efficient enough to get all the moisture out.

[@user-vs2yt2jv5j]

Love your content style and depth of Subject Matter.

[@ranegross6289]

I feel there was a vapor lock during boost back, could look like a blockage and just a big air bubble

[@mshwab]

I love your videos. Thank you so much for providing excellent content. You Rock!

[@punisherii5209]

good show

[@jeremysart]

Is there a website or mailing list one can subscribe to for starship launch alerts?

[@user-ee6gj1ld5p]

Проблема засора в байке могла быть даже лёд. Кусочек льда. Какие-нибудь трубки ввода, вывода заледенели. Могли быть какие-нибудь газовые воздушные пробки, или какое-нибудь небольшое повреждение трубопровода в Узкой его части. 1 из вариантов причин повреждения трубопровода-это могли быть гидроудары плещущегося топлива. Я же не знаю, как устроена ракета в конечном итоге. Ну, может быть, эти удары могли простоять какую-нибудь насадку, которая принимает топливо внутри бака?

[@joshuachan6317]

4:23 Which video is this on the channel mentioned? Can't seem to find it

[@robindowse7893]

Seeing how the faa go I'd say 4 launches is the most for this year but anymore would be a bonus

[@davidsoom1551]

"Mishap"? I thought it was "desructive testing".

[@98900945r]

Most likely of filter blockage is from the gas bubbles generated when cryo-fuel splash on tank wall (the empty part of tank wall get warm as it is not insulated).

[@robertgrove2131]

i think that slosh caused cavitation or air bubbles causing air to prevent flow through the filter

[@RickyD1968]

Good news lets light this big candle !!!

[@Pan_Handled]

Thank you Felix. You guys nail it. I love and appreciate each episode.

[@user-hk9ny1sr8y]

Whenhop?

[@Azzty45]

Onward and upward spacex .. good luck 🚀

[@awesomness1234567100]

Why don't they make the tanks smaller to prevent so much sloshing ability? Or do they need the extra space in the tank for ignition?

[@2ndfloorsongs]

They need the extra space in the tanks to carry propellant.

[@robertpage4337]

1 starship launch would be nice 🤔 anymore after that would be nice too

[@geroldrodriguez4698]

I'm here for the long run , love the videos as always ❤❤

[@Bigglare]

Money's on Three launches in 2024

[@soal159]

With 5 flights a year, this would leave space x with two and a half months between launches each year. We will see if there is an update this year for this.

[@MarsOzzie]

Can they use the unused launch from last year?

[@Jamie_Elizabeth192]

Another great episode. I predict 4 launches this year. 9 would be great but I just don't see that.

[@asj4567]

3:09 ayeee bigg bada boom 🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@eric212234]

Nice Leeloo reference!

[@NullHand]

At 3:02, your 3.6 : 1 is the oxidizer to fuel ratio. Not fuel to oxidizer ratio. Rockets don't work like the atmospheric engines we are used to, and must carry all their oxygen. Chemical rockets are 75% to 80% oxygen by weight because of this.

[@clausbitten]

I hope the new crew mission will also include some duct tape to repair the leaks in the russion module. :)

[@Trillion_Empire]

Damn

[@BjornSeverinLarsen]

Would say 4/5 could be possible if stage 0 can carry the load

[@martinbeaumier7172]

I want to see it come back and land this year!

[@clausbitten]

Where does the rocket get the power for ie. the electronic gimbals? All from batteries or is there a generator on board to deal with unforeseen power demands?

[@charcoal386]

I love the fifth element

[@HowDareUbuddy]

I have the perfect fix, just make the header tanks bigger so you can switch to the tanks before turning the booster around.

[@LifeMyWay007]

Booster filer was OBVIOUSLY blocked by a 5th Element, which is the Only Element known to cause a "Big Badda Boom" lol

[@Whataboutit]

🤣

[@Fatpumpumlovah2]

lol, was hoping by DONE you meant defunded :)

[@bigboybuilder]

as for the amount of fuel onboard during tests and prepping for a catch (which is the elephant in the room for me). I think they need to have as much fuel as it will hold, so that when doing the soft landings at sea there is as big of reserve fuel as posable so that maneuvering at 10,20 or whatever feet can be done as long as possible to fine tune the PID loops after all they are going to try to sick a baseball into a softball sized opening while it is moving (worse yet 2 of them... at the same time). from what I have seen from falcon 9 landings, they are nowhere close enough to pull "the catch" off. falcon has had many opportunities to attempt landings within a square inch (25.4MM), which isn't that much smaller (best guess) than will be required.

[@bigboybuilder]

as an afterthought to all that, how quickly do the chopsticks move when closing?

[@Wurtoz9643]

@@bigboybuilderI don’t know but I have a thing to point out about the accuracy. The falcon 9 does a dogleg manoeuvre during the landing-burn as to not destroy the DS if it doesn’t land successfully. Also it’s worth to keep in mind that f9 can’t hover and therefore has a harder time achieving accuracy. Despite this, the most recent landings have been quite spot-on still.

[@Bluelagoonstudios]

I think if they can launch 5 Starships that is already a big stretch. If every launch goes well, because if there are issues, that would slow launches considerably.

[@OliFPV]

Alter Schwede war das n BadaBoom 💥🍀 thxxx and liebe Grüße

[@georgegoodwin9722]

Big Banda Boom! I love it!

[@hawkdsl]

Well this was an excellent vid, with solid info (like the 5 launch limit at Boca). I have critiqued this channel for "fandom lite" fair, but also can recognize when there is good reporting and information. Keep it up.

[@ApfelBirneKreis]

FAA im proud of you 🎉

[@matthiasgrunwald895]

In FAA we trust

[@Whataboutit]

Agreed! It really seems like they're doing this as fast as they can while having to stick to outdated processes.

[@KiRiTO72987]

I mean it's a spaceX led investigation just with FAA oversight so it's more on spaceX to do it in a timely manner

[@matthiasgrunwald895]

@@Whataboutit Felix, was geht ab?

[@stefanieschlang8975]

Wohooo!🎉

[@craigsmith1354]

3 max and that's a stretch. To stop damage to the launch pad couldn't they clad the mount in large reentry heat resistant tiles ? . They could be a lower spec since they are earth bound .what do you say about it ?.

[@jurgschutz4940]

Why do they throttle the booster down to 3 raptors during hot staging, when starship is starting up with 6 raptors? Couldn't this lead to the booster being momentarily pushed backwards by the propellant streaming away from starship? Hence the sloshing of fuel in the booster. I anticipate that they need to reduce propulsion from the booster a bit, but not as much as they did. Maybe 6 raptors each, for booster and starship, during staging.

[@robertheinrich2994]

last segment: there were foton-satellites in the past, starting from 1985 until 2014. and they weren't built by rocketlab ;-)

[@ronaldlebeck9577]

Isn't the hot-fire interstage section on the Russian rockets longer than the one for Starship? Kind of looks like it to me...I wonder if that would make a difference or not.

[@garyhorner7550]

Just 5 launches in one year is a whole lot better than SLS, which can only manage one launch, from a booster half as powerful, every 2 years for a measly 4 billion dollars.

[@feman43]

I think SpaceX will achieve between 3 and 5 starship launches. I'm planning on attending IFT3. I went to IFT2 it was awesome.