5 ms·

SpaceX’s Starship launch plan gets an environmental OK from the feds

24 points by ctoth 4y ago

sschueller 4y ago
How many launches per year will be permitted? Didn't SpaceX in the end want to launch 2 to 3 a day? That seems like a problem eventually.
- Nikbul 4y ago
  This will not be a reality in next 5 years at least. Honestly some of those requirements seem to be just an excuse for the feds to delay the testing as much as possible. Yeah, I'm looking at you, California.
- verdverm 4y ago
  The Boca Chica site is for R&D, not regular launch operations. They are only planning a handful a year from this site. They are already building the starship launch facilities in the cape for regular operations
- ancientworldnow 4y ago
  5 orbital and 5 sub orbital.
halfjoking 4y ago
In a country that approves fracking sites without a second thought, they hold up a project that could advance science and give a huge advantage in the space race for 5 months? For what? Turtles and civil war reenactment sites? ULA has too many politicians in their pockets. Even though these environmental issues seem plausible, this was 100% political. I assure you they do not think of the turtles when contaminating the ground water with fracking.
- PraetorianGourd 4y ago
  "A" is inadequate, so we shouldn't do an adequate review on "B" is not the answer. Applaud the fact that they took this seriously, and hope that they get their act together with the oil companies and mineral rights.
- credit_guy 4y ago
  Can I play devil's advocate here? The Startship's booster has a propellant mix of 2800 tons of oxygen and 800 tons of methane [1]. Since in the reaction CH4 + 2 O2 = CO2 + 2 H2O there's 4 times as much oxygen by mass (2x32 = 64) than methane (12+4=16), it follows that only 700 tons of methane burn, and 100 are vented in the atmosphere. This might not seem like much, but Musk has a goal of 1 million launches per year [2]. The EPA considers that one ton of methane is equivalent to 25 tons of CO2, so that brings us to 2.5 Gigatons of equivalent CO2 emissions. Currently the whole of the US emits 6.0 Gigatons equivalent CO2. Take a moment to ponder this. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship#Super_Heavy_booster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship#Super_Heavy_bo... [2] https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/17/elon-musk-shares-details-about-spacexs-starship-including-estimated-20-to-30-year-service-life/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/17/elon-musk-shares-details-a...
  - deadlydose 4y ago
    > Musk has a goal of 1 million launches per year [2] Is this a mistake? FTA: "SpaceX’s goal, according to Musk, is to ultimately send one million people to Mars by 2050"
    - credit_guy 4y ago
      Not all the launches will aim to sent people to Mars. Some will just send cargo, and some will send stuff to LEO. FTA: Musk said that the spacecraft is being designed with the plan of flying [..] a total of more than 1,000 flights per year, per vehicle. Ultimately, Musk says that he hopes to achieve [...] a goal of hitting 1,000 in total in service over the course of the next decade. So that's one million launches. That's corroborated by the goal of 100 megatons of cargo per year (given that each Starship can carry 100 tons to space).
      - deadlydose 4y ago
        > So that's one million launches. In a decade. Not a year.

24 points by ctoth 4y ago

How many launches per year will be permitted? Didn't SpaceX in the end want to launch 2 to 3 a day? That seems like a problem eventually.

Nikbul 4y ago
This will not be a reality in next 5 years at least. Honestly some of those requirements seem to be just an excuse for the feds to delay the testing as much as possible. Yeah, I'm looking at you, California.
verdverm 4y ago
The Boca Chica site is for R&D, not regular launch operations. They are only planning a handful a year from this site. They are already building the starship launch facilities in the cape for regular operations
ancientworldnow 4y ago
5 orbital and 5 sub orbital.

halfjoking 4y ago

In a country that approves fracking sites without a second thought, they hold up a project that could advance science and give a huge advantage in the space race for 5 months? For what? Turtles and civil war reenactment sites? ULA has too many politicians in their pockets. Even though these environmental issues seem plausible, this was 100% political. I assure you they do not think of the turtles when contaminating the ground water with fracking.

PraetorianGourd 4y ago
"A" is inadequate, so we shouldn't do an adequate review on "B" is not the answer. Applaud the fact that they took this seriously, and hope that they get their act together with the oil companies and mineral rights.
credit_guy 4y ago
Can I play devil's advocate here? The Startship's booster has a propellant mix of 2800 tons of oxygen and 800 tons of methane [1]. Since in the reaction CH4 + 2 O2 = CO2 + 2 H2O there's 4 times as much oxygen by mass (2x32 = 64) than methane (12+4=16), it follows that only 700 tons of methane burn, and 100 are vented in the atmosphere. This might not seem like much, but Musk has a goal of 1 million launches per year [2]. The EPA considers that one ton of methane is equivalent to 25 tons of CO2, so that brings us to 2.5 Gigatons of equivalent CO2 emissions. Currently the whole of the US emits 6.0 Gigatons equivalent CO2. Take a moment to ponder this. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship#Super_Heavy_booster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship#Super_Heavy_bo... [2] https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/17/elon-musk-shares-details-about-spacexs-starship-including-estimated-20-to-30-year-service-life/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/17/elon-musk-shares-details-a...
- deadlydose 4y ago
  > Musk has a goal of 1 million launches per year [2] Is this a mistake? FTA: "SpaceX’s goal, according to Musk, is to ultimately send one million people to Mars by 2050"
  - credit_guy 4y ago
    Not all the launches will aim to sent people to Mars. Some will just send cargo, and some will send stuff to LEO. FTA: Musk said that the spacecraft is being designed with the plan of flying [..] a total of more than 1,000 flights per year, per vehicle. Ultimately, Musk says that he hopes to achieve [...] a goal of hitting 1,000 in total in service over the course of the next decade. So that's one million launches. That's corroborated by the goal of 100 megatons of cargo per year (given that each Starship can carry 100 tons to space).
    - deadlydose 4y ago
      > So that's one million launches. In a decade. Not a year.