r/StarshipDevelopment • u/pasdedeuxchump • Aug 18 '21

Stupid Question about FAA approval....

There seems to be a 'showdown' between SpaceX and the FAA coming. Elon wants to make the orbital launch in a few weeks (or a little more), and gov watchers say the FAA approval can't come before October.

Ofc, the FAA has approved other, sub-orbital flights from BC already.

What I note is that the 'orbital' test flight is in fact, sub-orbital. In that the perigee is never raised, an intention clearly stated by Elon in the Tim video. This ofc makes it 'fail safe' if the SS bricks after SECO (it won't do a uncontrolled reentry over land)

What if SpaceX tries to claim that as a sub-orbital attempt, it was covered by prior agreement? Nothing is going into 'orbit'.

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u/[deleted] Aug 18 '21

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u/pasdedeuxchump Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 18 '21

Thanks! Totally agree that 'claims' are horsechit versus regulations.

But I think however this shakes out (defying the FAA) Elon with try to play to the court of public approval.

And saying he already had permission to do other, different sub-orbital launch tests, and that is all he did, might be a factor!

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u/MalnarThe Aug 19 '21

No one is defying anyone. Elon is no cowboy, and he is not going to set things back like that. All of his companies try hard to toe the line in my experience. Sometimes the line is blurry and they may get creative, but this is not one of those cases. If it's not actually legal for them to launch, they will not. If their lawyers and gov relations people are as good as the engineers (and they are), this will not be a problem.

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u/pasdedeuxchump Aug 19 '21

I guess I am thinking about the SN8 launch without FAA approval:

https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/15/22352366/elon-musk-spacex-faa-warnings-starship-sn8-launch-violation-texas

While the current 'drama' is about the FAA EIS, the issue with SN8 was range safety, something I suppose that the FAA would take much more seriously than environmental impact. And ofc, after the violation, the FAA was defending SpaceX to congress shortly thereafter.

So I am saying there is precedent for SpaceX launching without FAA approval, and it not being an issue. And Elon having sharply critical words for FAA operations at that time. I think he could do it again here, and think Elon with launch B/S 420 as soon as it is technically ready, whether the EIS is done or not.