For example, the launch of the manned dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020 finally restored the manned flight capability lost by the United States since the explosion of the space shuttle. The 12.5km test flight of "Starship" SN8 on February/February/0, 65438, although it finally exploded, it means that human beings are one step closer to Mars and a step forward to the space age.
At the same time, in 2020, the iconic product "Star Chain" satellite of Space Exploration Technology Company finally started networking test, with the highest speed reaching 150Mb per second, and the American version of "Every Village" will soon be put into practical use. In addition, Space Exploration Technology Company has set a world record for rocket reuse, with the most rockets being reused seven times.
Thanks to the powerful Falcon series rockets, in 2020, although their launch times are only slightly ahead of their opponents, the launch load is several times that of all other countries and institutions in the world combined, which is obviously an amazing achievement. In 20021year, Space Exploration Technology Company arranged 48 launches, far exceeding the 26 launches in 2020, setting a new record, and has completed three launches so far. According to 1 14 launches in the world last year, Space Exploration Technology Company intends to support half of the world's space flights by itself.
Moreover, the product line of Space Exploration Technology Company 202 1 is in full bloom, and the spacecraft to be launched include "Star Chain" satellite, remote sensing satellite, reconnaissance satellite, cargo spacecraft, manned spacecraft, lunar lander and communication satellite. , customers cover the whole world. In addition to Falcon 9, there are four heavy Falcon rockets. However, in 20021year, although there were many "starship" launches, there was no on-orbit test arrangement.
Speaking of "Starship", everyone still remembers the explosion picture of "Starship" SN8. Explosion still means success. There was a lot of controversy at that time, but Musk didn't care and launched the starship SN9 at a very fast speed. Now there is a spectacular picture of starship SN9 and starship SN 10 standing on the launch pad at the same time, which is extremely rare in the decades of human space history.
However, this may not be good news for Musk. Because he had previously announced that the "Starship" SN9 would conduct an ignition test at 65438+1October 26th, and it was later cancelled due to strong wind. The second launch time was set at 65438+1October 28th, but it still stayed on the ground. In fact, the so-called "strong wind" is only a superficial cause, and the real resistance comes from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a well-known organization, which not only controls domestic aircraft in the United States, but also needs its approval for China's C9 19 flight in the United States. It should not only take care of the plane, but also take care of the spacecraft. So, why did the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stop the launch of the starship SN9? The reason is the explosion of "Starship" SN8.
For Musk and Space Exploration Technology, Starship SN8 successfully completed almost all the test tasks, but the final landing stage was not perfect, and it was no big deal to blow it up. The most important thing is to conduct the next test as soon as possible. But for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the situation is very different. No matter what causes the explosion, it is an accident and a bad thing within their jurisdiction, which will affect their performance. Therefore, space exploration technology companies must carry out rectification and put forward a perfect plan. It's not difficult, but a series of operations take time. According to the efficiency of the American government and public institutions, it is estimated that it will not work for half a year. Have you noticed how long Boeing's investigation into the 737MAX crash lasted?
This is fatal to Musk and Space Exploration Technology, because it is like a high-speed machine, which needs constant "doing things" and constant iteration to stimulate the excitement of the public and stimulate investors to survive. An accident investigation for half a year is unacceptable in any case. No wonder Musk swore on social media regardless of his status as a civilized person, saying that if this continues, humans will never reach Mars.
Nowadays, many people are one-sided, support Musk and lambaste the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but in fact, as a government and public institution, there is nothing wrong. It needs to be responsible for public safety, and its attention will be higher than that of Musk. As a commercial space agency, it is not wrong for Musk and Space Exploration Technology to think about forming productivity as soon as possible. This is a contradiction that can never be reconciled. It seems that on the road across Mars, Musk needs to consider far more than technical issues.