SpaceX’s plans to launch its Starship-Super Heavy two-stage rocket 44 times a year from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are facing criticism from its two main rivals, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
The Starship The vehicle is the world’s largest rocket. Its two stages are SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster rocket and the upper-stage spacecraft, somewhat confusingly known as Starship or “the Ship”, which could one day carry a crew of 100 astronauts.
Over the last few years of testing, the Starship/Super Heavy design has undergone a series of iterations, the latest of which has resulted in a rocket that will reach altitudes of up to 492 feet (150 meters). To put that in context, Saturn V It was 363 feet (111 meters) tall, while NASA’s new crewed version Space Launch System It is 322 feet 98 meters high. SpaceX’s rocket is very large and is planned to carry astronauts moon And Anthem.
Before SpaceX You can get a license to start launches from launch pad 39A Kennedy Space Center An environmental impact statement must be submitted detailing how SpaceX’s launches in Florida (KSC) will affect the local environment and wildlife, as well as neighboring businesses and residents. This is done by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is currently in the consultation phase, where local businesses, organizations, and the public can weigh in on the pros and cons of SpaceX’s plans. And SpaceX’s competitors haven’t held back either.
Blue Origin I sent a 3-page letter In a petition to the FAA requesting a cap on the number of launches and landings, they asked that the 44 planned launches be reduced to an unspecified amount that would “create minimal impact on the local environment, local operations personnel and the local community.”
The Blue Origin The objections also raise the point that Starship-Super Heavy will hold an “unprecedented” 5,200 metric tons of liquid methane fuel, which is highly flammable and could cause a catastrophic explosion on the launch pad if something goes wrong. Blue Origin claims that its safety margins are so wide that they overlap with the launch pads, hangars, and offices of several other companies, including Blue Origin itself on Launch Pad 36, which it leases from Kennedy Space Center.
ULA’s criticism grows harsher 22-page document They’re not holding back, accusing SpaceX of producing its own environmental impact statement for the extravagantly named ‘Starbase’ in Boca Chica, Texas, where they’ve been testing Starship so far.
In the letter, ULA notes that SpaceX’s environmental impact statement states that debris from any mishap during the launch would cover only one square mile (2.5 square kilometers). In April 2023, Starship first test flightThe debris was instead scattered in a 6-mile (9.6 km) radius, endangering the surrounding area and demonstrating how much SpaceX had underestimated the danger to their environment. The explosion has drawn criticism from environmental groups to sue against SpaceX and the FAA, which was eventually thrown out in court. ULA’s base at Kennedy is just 3 miles (4.8 km) from SpaceX’s 39A launch pad, which understandably makes them nervous.
“With the planned increase in launch thrust for Starship, debris from a similar launch failure could reach larger, populated areas surrounding KSC,” ULA said, suggesting that SpaceX launch Starship from Boca Chica.
“As the largest rocket in existence, an accident could cause serious or even catastrophic damage, while normal launch operations would have a cumulative effect on structures, launch vehicle hardware and other critical launch support equipment,” ULA wrote.
Blue Origin, on the other hand, has suggested that the government build new launch pads further away from 39A for companies like theirs that could potentially be affected by SpaceX’s Starship operations.
There were also many concerns for the environment and local wildlife. To achieve the goal of 44 launches per year there would need to be at least 3 or 4 launches per month, resulting in year-round use of launch pad 39A. Merritt Island Wildlife Association (Merritt Island is the peninsula where Kennedy Space Center is located) Nearly all areas will have floodlights, he noted. time It will disrupt the natural rhythms of wildlife on 39A, for example causing migratory birds to become disoriented.
Meanwhile, Defenders of Wildlife A Florida organization says birds nesting near Boca Chica have had their eggs hatched by granular debris from previous Starship test flights. The birds are known to nest near launch pad 39A, and more frequent launches could harm bird populations in the area. However, Defenders of Wildlife says they believe using 39A is better than building brand-new launch sites on undeveloped land near Kennedy Space Center, as Blue Origin is proposing, which would have a major environmental impact.
A comprehensive investigation by the New York Times Published on June 8 Detailing the environmental damage caused by SpaceX’s operations in Boca Chica, and noting that this damage has sparked a discussion about “how to balance technological and economic advancement against the protection of sensitive ecosystems and local communities,” FAA leadership acknowledged the environmental issues Starship poses, but the agency also emphasized that the vehicle is vital to America’s future. space program.
“Blowing debris into state parks or national lands is not something we envision, but the main thing is nobody gets hurt, nobody gets injured,” Kelvin B. Coleman, the FAA’s Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, told the New York Times. “We certainly don’t want people to feel like they’re being crushed. But what SpaceX is doing there is a really important operation. It’s really important to our civil space program.”
It’s not just wildlife that could be affected by Starship. SpaceX’s flooding system sprays a million gallons of water onto the launch pad during launch, absorbing most of the heat during launch and preventing damage. While much of that water evaporates, the rest flows into collection basins around the launch site. ULA is questioning how and what will treat that water for any toxic or otherwise hazardous chemicals, and what will prevent it from leaking into the public water supply.
SpaceX has also set its sights on a second launch pad after learning about using Launch Complex 37 at the neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station starting in 2026. The U.S. Air Force is conducting its own environmental study of that proposal before granting permission.
ULA also questions SpaceX’s decision to stop using offshore drones to land the Super Heavy booster and instead send them back down to 39A, saying it “imposes system failure risks on the communities, businesses and environment surrounding KSC.”
All three companies are competing for the same NASA contracts, and some observers might see these complaints as sour grapes from SpaceX’s rivals who have a hard time keeping up with them. SpaceX’s Elon Musk responded to Blue Origin’s complaint sarcastically on social media: I send “Sue Origin” to X (the social media company he owns) in the days following the company’s letter.
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But whatever the motivations behind the complaints, many appear to be related to safety and environmental impact. Even NASA has its doubts, space agency officials say aforementioned can effectively mitigate an incident occurring on the launch pad NASA the only way to reach International Space Stationwould have stranded the astronauts.
Both Blue Origin and ULA’s objections to Starship operations at KSC stem from the fact that both companies believe the rocket is too little-tested, too dangerous and too disruptive to fit into the ecosystem of Kennedy Space Center’s other users.
But it will be up to the FAA to decide whether such concerns are valid and whether they are enough to prevent accidents. Elon Musk and is preventing SpaceX from realizing its Starship dreams.