Elaine Jean Science 02.11.2022 10:Feb AM EST

SpaceX Update: Elon Musk is Launching Starship Rocket

SpaceX is close to launching the Starship Rocket aiming to explore the moon and Mars.

Elon Musk gave a long overdue 2022 Starship update. This is the first update Musk gave publicly since September 2019.

Musk gave a presentation update Thursday (Feb.10) at the South Texas facility Starbase. Starbase is also the facility where SpaceX builds, tests, and launches Starship vehicles.

The vision SpaceX is aiming for is for Starship to be an instrument in taking people and cargo to space, may it be to the moon, Mars, other orbital destinations, and to perform other space explorations as well.

BBC reported that the SpaceX CEO added that carrying passengers on superfast "point-to-point" trips here on Earth using Starship is part of his vision.

However, Musk's vision coming to fruition now depends on the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The company still needs to secure a licensing authority. However, the permission to fly would only be released after a positive result for the environmental assessment is complete, which would be around by March.

Starship Is Still Not Free To Fly

In his own words, Musk stated that "I feel at this point highly confident that we'll get to orbit this year."

Space.com states that it was originally planned for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to wrap up an environmental assessment of Starbase by Feb. 28. The vehicle is scheduled to launch on the Starship program's first-ever orbital test flight, a milestone that could occur early next month.

Designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, both of these components represent a significant step forward in the quest to make Mars colonization and other ambitious spaceflight endeavors economically feasible.

SpaceX concerns NASA and The Government

SpaceX isn't just planning to launch Starship this year, SpaceX is also looking to launch Starlinks satellites. Starlink plans to deploy 30,000 Gen2 satellites into space. To make this possible, SpaceX filled a licensing application to the Federal Communications Commission for approval.

On the other hand, NASA sent a letter to the FCC expressing concern that with the deployment of numerous satellites into space, the chances of spacecraft collisions would increase heavily and would hamper scientific observations.

However, NASA clarified in the letter that it does not discourage the Federal Communications Commission from rejecting the application of Starlinks Gen2 satellites.

Instead, NASA asks the FCC for the following information: "additional information including spacecraft and laser specifications including deployed dimensions, communications plan, ground segment expansion, orbital spacing, and deployment schedule."

The Power of Starship and Super Heavy

The Starship rocket is the tallest and most massive space rocket to date, as it measures 390 feet above the ground.

The previous record-holder for the tallest rocket stood at 363 feet, NASA's Saturn V moon rocket. According to Musk, Starship's thrust will also be more than twice the iconic Saturn V.

As reported by Space.com, SpaceX believes that their launches will revolutionize spaceflight and exploration as they intend to design both Starship and Super Heavy fully reusable spacecraft.

If everything goes according to plan, SpaceX's Starship will be capable of launching from Earth's surface every six to eight hours. On the other hand, Super Heavy will be capable of delivering up to 150 tons of payload to orbit roughly every hour.