SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Monday that there are multiple regulatory hurdles to launching a rocket, including getting clearance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What Happened: “We need multiple Fish licenses to launch a rocket (actually)!,” Musk wrote on social media platform X, referring to clearance from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service required ahead of space missions confirming that the operations will not impact surrounding wildlife.
The CEO was responding to a snippet of his interview with Lex Fridman from November 2023 where he said, “Currently, the limiting factor for SpaceX, for Starship launch, is regulatory approval.”
“I don’t think the public is quite aware of the madness that goes on,” Musk then said.
Earlier this month, SpaceX said in a blog post that the delay in getting regulatory approvals for the fifth test flight of its ambitious Starship, despite the launch vehicle being ready, is because the Federal Aviation Administration is consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on the impact of the proposed flight on surrounding wildlife, among other reasons.
On Sunday, Musk also raised concerns about the Starship program getting “smothered” by government bureaucracy. The bureaucracy is rising and the regulatory red tape is affecting all large projects in America, the CEO said.
The regulations, Musk previously said, will intensify if Kamala Harris is elected President in the upcoming elections. While Republican Donald Trump has expressed willingness to initiate a government efficiency commission aimed at reducing regulations, the red tape would only rise under a Democratic party administration, Musk opined.
Why It Matters: Musk on Sunday also said that SpaceX intends to launch about five uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, elaborating on his timeline from earlier this month.
If the five uncrewed missions land safely, crewed missions will be possible in four years, Musk said. However, in case of challenges, the crewed missions will be postponed another two years, he added, pegging crewed Starship missions to Mars for as early as 2028 and latest by 2030.
However, the Starship has undergone only four test flights to date, and Musk has previously made tall claims about the Starship’s readiness. Musk aims to take humans to Earth’s orbit, the Moon, and Mars with the spacecraft.
However, Musk’s SpaceX has been increasing its launch frequency with its Falcon launch vehicles alone. Earlier this month, the company launched its 90th mission for the year with its Falcon 9 workhorse accounting for a majority of the launches.
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