A New Era for the SpaceX Starship Project: Paving the Way for Full Orbital Flights
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has reached a critical milestone in preparing its largest and most powerful spacecraft, the Starship system, for full orbital flights. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a draft environmental assessment necessary to expand Starship operations. This document regulates processes related to the craft's return from orbit and landing at various Earth locations. This is reported by news source.
According to Ixbt.com, the new license draft officially considers the return of the craft after a full orbital flight for the first time. All tests conducted so far, including the high-profile flights, had suborbital status. SpaceX is now expected to gain the ability to conduct flights and recover vessels not only from the Starbase site in Texas but also from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Landing Strategy and Safety Measures
The document outlines several scenarios for landing the craft. If it is not possible to catch the Starship craft using the "Mechazilla" tower in Texas, it will be directed to a reserve area in the northern Pacific Ocean. There are also plans to expand existing landing zones near the coast of Chile and in the central Pacific. All these measures are intended for the period up to 2030.FAA experts calculated potential environmental damage based on the most conservative scenarios. For each region, they analyzed 25 cases of craft disintegration upon atmospheric entry, 25 controlled water landings, and 20 explosion events (e.g., upon water impact). The analyses show that if the established measures are followed, no significant harm will be caused to nature.
Ecology and Marine Life Protection
To preserve marine fauna, the establishment of special buffer zones is planned. According to this, landing points must be at least 130 kilometers away from the coast. The following measures will also be implemented:- Pre-flight inspection of landing areas using aircraft and drones;
- Limiting the speed of observation vessels if whales or other marine animals are detected;
- Constant monitoring of water pollution levels by methane and hydraulic fluids.
Aviation and Future Plans
Starship flights will inevitably affect air traffic. During landings in Texas, more than 90 high-altitude air routes in the western US may be temporarily closed. During peak times, this restriction is said to affect the routes of up to 600 commercial flights per hour. For a single operation, the airspace will be closed for approximately 30 minutes, which requires changing the routes of an average of 6,600 flights per year.SpaceX is currently finalizing tests for the second version of the Starship craft. This project is vital for launching Starlink satellites into orbit, refueling in space, and carrying out missions to the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program. According to the company, the next, 13th test flight of the Starship system could take place as early as July 16 of this year.
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