3 ms·

I wonder if they ever considered moving the launch site 5 or 10 miles south into Mexico. It would certainly change the regulatory regime and Mexico would gain a

I wonder if they ever considered moving the launch site 5 or 10 miles south into Mexico. It would certainly change the regulatory regime and Mexico would gain a facility with access to space.

itsoktocry 3y ago
>I wonder if they ever considered moving the launch site 5 or 10 miles south into Mexico. You think the US government would allow that? Or are you under the illusion that SpaceX doesn't have close ties with the DoD?
- ben_w 3y ago
  It does lead to a question about how happy different branches of the US government are with each other. I don't know how any of this works though; assuming everyone else was cool with it, does the FAA need to be consulted in such a scenario? Does the FAA have worldwide jurisdiction over launches by/for USA companies? This will presumably matter in the (IMO unlikely) case of suborbital city-to-city civilian transport via Starship launches.
  - alienasa 3y ago
    > Does the FAA have worldwide jurisdiction over launches by/for USA companies? Yes it does. Per https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/commercial-space-transportation-activities?newsId=19074 https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/commercial-space-transportation... "An FAA license is required for any launch or reentry, or the operation of any launch or reentry site, by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world, or by any individual or entity within the U.S. "
    - snovv_crash 3y ago
      So the FAA might object, but the EPA's hands would be tied.
- kjkjadksj 3y ago
  Other defense and aerospace contractors also operate in Mexico.
  - verdverm 3y ago
    Are they buildings ng ITAR stuff there, or parts which are not sensitive? Details matter
paulsutter 3y ago
That would require an ITAR export license for Mexico, which shouldn't be too difficult since there are many defense manufacturers located in Mexico (ITAR is for weapons of course, but the same export controls apply to rockets)
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
inasio 3y ago
That option has already been explored [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_1jqgCjxA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_1jqgCjxA
pkaye 3y ago
Per the space treaty the launching country takes liability for damage costs by space objects. So would need to have similar regulations.
LeifCarrotson 3y ago
Are you familiar with the Boardroom Meeting Suggestion meme, where the guy says something audacious (or simply reasonable) and gets thrown out the window? Your comment fits that meme perfectly. Yes, SpaceX is a private company, and no, they're not a weapons manufacturer at the moment... but only because the DoD has only asked them to loft surveillance equipment and not told them to launch warheads, and only because they've aimed for orbital targets above the atmosphere rather than on a different continent. They've no doubt signed their life away on not exporting Merlin, Draco, and Raptor engine designs. You may be annoyed at the NSA's attempts to control and restrict "military grade cryptography" in the 90s, or at various bureaucracies that attempt to license which trades and businesses are allowed or not allowed to do various kinds of work. But in rocketry, they're deadly serious about their job. SpaceX cannot run to Mexico.
- alooPotato 3y ago
  can they do ocean launches?
  - yardie 3y ago
    There was Sealaunch[0] a Russian company. And they had a pretty good track record of launches. But it eventually fell into bankruptcy. At the moment, SpaceX does not have the capability to do ocean launches. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Launch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Launch
  - cmsj 3y ago
    They had planned to convert old oil rigs into launch platforms, but abandoned the idea earlier this year: https://spacenews.com/spacex-drops-plans-to-covert-oil-rigs-into-launch-platforms/ https://spacenews.com/spacex-drops-plans-to-covert-oil-rigs-...
- pmontra 3y ago
  I'm sure about that. What I wonder is if their strategic importance can buy them some slack with the FAA. Apparently not, or not yet.
- 3y ago

I wonder if they ever considered moving the launch site 5 or 10 miles south into Mexico. It would certainly change the regulatory regime and Mexico would gain a facility with access to space.

itsoktocry 3y ago

>I wonder if they ever considered moving the launch site 5 or 10 miles south into Mexico. You think the US government would allow that? Or are you under the illusion that SpaceX doesn't have close ties with the DoD?

ben_w 3y ago
It does lead to a question about how happy different branches of the US government are with each other. I don't know how any of this works though; assuming everyone else was cool with it, does the FAA need to be consulted in such a scenario? Does the FAA have worldwide jurisdiction over launches by/for USA companies? This will presumably matter in the (IMO unlikely) case of suborbital city-to-city civilian transport via Starship launches.
- alienasa 3y ago
  > Does the FAA have worldwide jurisdiction over launches by/for USA companies? Yes it does. Per https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/commercial-space-transportation-activities?newsId=19074 https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/commercial-space-transportation... "An FAA license is required for any launch or reentry, or the operation of any launch or reentry site, by U.S. citizens anywhere in the world, or by any individual or entity within the U.S. "
  - snovv_crash 3y ago
    So the FAA might object, but the EPA's hands would be tied.
kjkjadksj 3y ago
Other defense and aerospace contractors also operate in Mexico.
- verdverm 3y ago
  Are they buildings ng ITAR stuff there, or parts which are not sensitive? Details matter

paulsutter 3y ago

That would require an ITAR export license for Mexico, which shouldn't be too difficult since there are many defense manufacturers located in Mexico (ITAR is for weapons of course, but the same export controls apply to rockets)

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

inasio 3y ago

That option has already been explored [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_1jqgCjxA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_1jqgCjxA

pkaye 3y ago

Per the space treaty the launching country takes liability for damage costs by space objects. So would need to have similar regulations.

LeifCarrotson 3y ago

Are you familiar with the Boardroom Meeting Suggestion meme, where the guy says something audacious (or simply reasonable) and gets thrown out the window? Your comment fits that meme perfectly. Yes, SpaceX is a private company, and no, they're not a weapons manufacturer at the moment... but only because the DoD has only asked them to loft surveillance equipment and not told them to launch warheads, and only because they've aimed for orbital targets above the atmosphere rather than on a different continent. They've no doubt signed their life away on not exporting Merlin, Draco, and Raptor engine designs. You may be annoyed at the NSA's attempts to control and restrict "military grade cryptography" in the 90s, or at various bureaucracies that attempt to license which trades and businesses are allowed or not allowed to do various kinds of work. But in rocketry, they're deadly serious about their job. SpaceX cannot run to Mexico.

alooPotato 3y ago
can they do ocean launches?
- yardie 3y ago
  There was Sealaunch[0] a Russian company. And they had a pretty good track record of launches. But it eventually fell into bankruptcy. At the moment, SpaceX does not have the capability to do ocean launches. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Launch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Launch
- cmsj 3y ago
  They had planned to convert old oil rigs into launch platforms, but abandoned the idea earlier this year: https://spacenews.com/spacex-drops-plans-to-covert-oil-rigs-into-launch-platforms/ https://spacenews.com/spacex-drops-plans-to-covert-oil-rigs-...
pmontra 3y ago
I'm sure about that. What I wonder is if their strategic importance can buy them some slack with the FAA. Apparently not, or not yet.
3y ago