Should the FAA oversee the SpaceX program?

[rockytopva]

It would seem to me that SpaceX should be overseen by NASA...

SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site

FAA to Oversee Investigation of Crashed SpaceX Starship Prototype

 

[rockytopva]

Taking on Twitter Elon Musk says, “We were too dumb.” What advice would you have given?

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1357256507847561217

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

It would seem to me that SpaceX should be overseen by NASA...

SpaceX and NASA have very different development philosophies - roughly, SpaceX learn from crashing complete assemblies, and NASA exhaustively ground tests all components in ever bigger combinations so they should (theoretically) almost never crash.

SpaceX's philosophy is much quicker and cheaper, despite the losses, and they learn more from real mission failures. As I understand it, NASA is considering being a little less anal & bureaucratic in their approach...

 

[Tinker Grey]

NASA is not a regulatory agency.
FAA is a regulatory agency.

 

[Ophiolite]

NASA is not a regulatory agency.
FAA is a regulatory agency.

I love posts that nail the answer to the OP question with concision and clarity!

 

[Tinker Grey]

I love posts that nail the answer to the OP question with concision and clarity!

Thanks!

 

[rockytopva]

Thankfully the SN10 was not damaged by the failures of her SN8 and SN9 sisters. It looks like the motors, I believe called raptors, help guide the spacecraft back to the landing pad. The wind seems to be a factor that is hard to deal with using only the raptors and flaps. NASA used parachutes (Apollo) or wings (shuttle) to guide the spacecraft back to earth. Do they need additional elevons? The video refers to these elevons as flaps and it seems an important part of guidance. It is always an amazing thing to see SpaceX land a booster using only engines, especially on boats!

Starship SN10's Raptors installed ahead of testing and refined landing attempt - NASASpaceFlight.com

 

[rockytopva]

NASA is not a regulatory agency.
FAA is a regulatory agency.

How much does the FAA know about space flight? It seems to me NASA would be more qualified to make such decisions.

 

[Tinker Grey]

How much does the FAA know about space flight? It seems to me NASA would be more qualified to make such decisions.

The FAA regulates NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...bolsters-american-commercial-space-activities

 

[rockytopva]

SpaceX lands three boosters. One at sea on their “Of course I still love you” landing barge.

Autonomous spaceport drone ship - Wikipedia

It looks like landing these spacecraft for reuse without parachutes can be a tough challenge and the safety of such operations is a concern for the FAA. Can they land the boosters safely every time?

 

[Hans Blaster]

The FAA regulates NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...bolsters-american-commercial-space-activities

I was just going to say this...

FAA regulates things that fly through US air space. Private planes. Drones. Helicopters. Rockets. It helps to avoid mid-air collisions. (Those are bad.)

 

[rockytopva]

In looking over the videos of SN9 they simply came in too fast and they could have taken out SN10 in the process. I am wondering if a little downtime is not good as they need some re-engineering here.

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

In looking over the videos of SN9 they simply came in too fast and they could have taken out SN10 in the process. I am wondering if a little downtime is not good as they need some re-engineering here.

One of the two Raptor engines failed to ignite properly (possible turbopump failure), so it lacked the thrust to prevent SN9 performing an unscheduled terrain-mediated disassembly...

Next time, they'll probably light all three Raptors so that they have redundancy.

 

[Hans Blaster]

One of the two Raptor engines failed to ignite properly (possible turbopump failure), so it lacked the thrust to prevent SN9 performing an unscheduled terrain-mediated disassembly...

Next time, they'll probably light all three Raptors so that they have redundancy.

I had the same thought. I don't know how things would work if they lit three and shut down one as unnecessary if all three lit. Of course they'd probably have to rework the landing software significantly to do that...

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

I had the same thought. I don't know how things would work if they lit three and shut down one as unnecessary if all three lit. Of course they'd probably have to rework the landing software significantly to do that...

Yes - when Elon Musk was asked why they didn't do that, he said: "We were too dumb". I think he was being serious rather than sarcastic.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Yes - when Elon Musk was asked why they didn't do that, he said: "We were too dumb". I think he was being serious rather than sarcastic.

It seems like Elon Musk is trying to attract the attention of another federal 3-letter agency: the SEC. He keeps doing things that look like market manipulation. (Just recently with one cryptocurrency "Doge" and then yesterday announces, or rather admits as he must in a SEC filing, that Tesla has $1B in bitcoin.)

I used to think comic book supervillains and Bond villains were just fantasy, but it seems like Musk (and Bezos) are trying to persuade me otherwise.

 

[Ophiolite]

Yes - when Elon Musk was asked why they didn't do that, he said: "We were too dumb". I think he was being serious rather than sarcastic.

He has subsequently indicated that he was serious. The current intent is that all three rockets would be fired up, then - if all are functioning normally - one would be shut down. My understanding is that keeping all three firing would require they be throttled back so much that they would be in serious danger of flameout.
@Hans Blaster I don't think this would require a huge software update. They already have subroutines for switching individual motors on and off, such actions being determined by timing and sensed Staship "environment". I'm not saying it's an overnight alteration, but equally I doubt it would take weeks and months.

 

[Ophiolite]

I used to think comic book supervillains and Bond villains were just fantasy, but it seems like Musk (and Bezos) are trying to persuade me otherwise.

But he does have a sense of humour. Until today I was unaware of his tunneling company, which he named the Boring Company.

 

[Hans Blaster]

But he does have a sense of humour. Until today I was unaware of his tunneling company, which he named the Boring Company.

Yeah, that's amusing. But...

Given that the HyperLoop is utter nonsense it makes me think... is he *really* trying to flood the San Andreas fault? (I'm just saying.)

 

[Erik Nelson]

Space-X is being punished for daring to preference hiring of qualified US citizens

Elon Musk Wants to Hire Only American Citizens... Now, The Biden DOJ Is After Him