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SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

theverge.com

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Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#21

Post by blkhawk »

Jonnax wrote: post #18
maxharris wrote: post #2

Why does SpaceX need permission to launch? Why is the FAA concerned about anything other than SpaceX having the clear airspace needed to develop new spacecraft? If you want to get really good at something, you have to practice a lot. We need the FAA to get out of the way, or we will be stuck on this planet, with no backup for humanity in the event of an extinction event that affects the whole of Earth.

Why should the lives of people living in the area be risked for some future of humanity philosophy? I'm sure the average person on earth doesn't care about the future of humanity after an extinction event.

AFAIK there are only 3 houses still owned by private citizens in Boca Chika village. And those living there were/are evacuated for tests.

So nobody was at risk at any point during the test.

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#22

Post by m4rtink »

Jonnax wrote: post #18
maxharris wrote: post #2

Why does SpaceX need permission to launch? Why is the FAA concerned about anything other than SpaceX having the clear airspace needed to develop new spacecraft? If you want to get really good at something, you have to practice a lot. We need the FAA to get out of the way, or we will be stuck on this planet, with no backup for humanity in the event of an extinction event that affects the whole of Earth.

Why should the lives of people living in the area be risked for some future of humanity philosophy? I'm sure the average person on earth doesn't care about the future of humanity after an extinction event.

You mean the surrounding brackish swamp or the declining village that Space X long bought out (mostly from friendly space flight fans who settled there after SpaceX started up to watch launches).

Not to mention the whole test flight being setup so that even if everything went wrong no one could have possibly been hurt (eq. just enough fuel to reach inside the exclusion zone, self destruct system, etc.).

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#24

Post by jiofih »

ojnabieoot wrote: post #8
maxharris wrote: post #2

Why does SpaceX need permission to launch? Why is the FAA concerned about anything other than SpaceX having the clear airspace needed to develop new spacecraft? If you want to get really good at something, you have to practice a lot. We need the FAA to get out of the way, or we will be stuck on this planet, with no backup for humanity in the event of an extinction event that affects the whole of Earth.

Seriously? It's a test flight of an enormous brand new rocket! It exploded! It doesn't matter what the flight plan is or what SpaceX claims is enough clear airspace. Launches of this sort endanger every flight in Texas and several surrounding states. It also endangers many civilians. While the danger can be monitored and controlled to acceptable levels, every single government in the world would want close oversight…

The rocket exploding was expected - it just happened much later than usual for a test.

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#25

Post by ojnabieoot »

krisoft wrote: post #13
ojnabieoot wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? It's a test flight of an enormous brand new rocket! It exploded! It doesn't matter what the flight plan is or what SpaceX claims is enough clear airspace. Launches of this sort endanger every flight in Texas and several surrounding states. It also endangers many civilians. While the danger can be monitored and controlled to acceptable levels, every single government in the world would want close oversight…

The article is devoid of engineering details. There is no way one can tell from this set of information if the FAA is right or wrong, or if SpaceX is right or wrong. That being said I have a problem with your comment. You are talking about that the rocket exploded as if it was of consequence. You even capitalise it. Why do you think it matters? Safety of a test is about the process, not the outcome. You might have a…

I am not saying that SpaceX isn't allowed to do dangerous tests. I am saying that a test where a rocket might explode is the kind of thing that the FAA should 100% be involved in and it's ridiculous to pretend otherwise.

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#27

Post by cbozeman »

Jonnax wrote: post #18
maxharris wrote: post #2

Why does SpaceX need permission to launch? Why is the FAA concerned about anything other than SpaceX having the clear airspace needed to develop new spacecraft? If you want to get really good at something, you have to practice a lot. We need the FAA to get out of the way, or we will be stuck on this planet, with no backup for humanity in the event of an extinction event that affects the whole of Earth.

Why should the lives of people living in the area be risked for some future of humanity philosophy? I'm sure the average person on earth doesn't care about the future of humanity after an extinction event.

Have you never seen Star Trek in all your life?

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#28

Post by chipsa »

ojnabieoot wrote: post #25
krisoft wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article is devoid of engineering details. There is no way one can tell from this set of information if the FAA is right or wrong, or if SpaceX is right or wrong. That being said I have a problem with your comment. You are talking about that the rocket exploded as if it was of consequence. You even capitalise it. Why do you think it matters? Safety of a test is about the process, not the outcome. You might have a…

I am not saying that SpaceX isn't allowed to do dangerous tests. I am saying that a test where a rocket might explode is the kind of thing that the FAA should 100% be involved in and it's ridiculous to pretend otherwise.

Literally every rocket launch can result in the rocket exploding.

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#29

Post by animal_spirits »

krisoft wrote: post #13
ojnabieoot wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? It's a test flight of an enormous brand new rocket! It exploded! It doesn't matter what the flight plan is or what SpaceX claims is enough clear airspace. Launches of this sort endanger every flight in Texas and several surrounding states. It also endangers many civilians. While the danger can be monitored and controlled to acceptable levels, every single government in the world would want close oversight…

The article is devoid of engineering details. There is no way one can tell from this set of information if the FAA is right or wrong, or if SpaceX is right or wrong. That being said I have a problem with your comment. You are talking about that the rocket exploded as if it was of consequence. You even capitalise it. Why do you think it matters? Safety of a test is about the process, not the outcome. You might have a…

> The article is devoid of engineering details. There is no way one can tell from this set of information if the FAA is right or wrong, or if SpaceX is right or wrong.

If this was some kind of engineering magazine, then you could expect in-depth details to the systems in place and mechanisms that failed. But this is a Reuters article, so I don't expect much technical details from it.

Regardless if anyone was harmed or not during an accident like this, standards should be enforced no matter what, if only to prevent the unlucky scenario in the future.

Re: SpaceX violated its launch license in Starship test, triggering FAA probe

#30

Post by animal_spirits »

chipsa wrote: post #28
ojnabieoot wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not saying that SpaceX isn't allowed to do dangerous tests. I am saying that a test where a rocket might explode is the kind of thing that the FAA should 100% be involved in and it's ridiculous to pretend otherwise.

Literally every rocket launch can result in the rocket exploding.

Then every single rocket launch should be held to some standards.
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