updates
Flight 5 licensing delay and the flame deflector
On September 10, 2024, SpaceX said Flight 5 hardware had been ready since early August and criticized an FAA license estimate of late November.
Topics: space-civilization starship
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
SpaceX said the Flight 5 vehicles had been ready since the first week of August 2024, and that the test’s new objective was to fly the booster back and catch it. The company said the FAA’s license-date estimate had moved from mid-September to late November, and that the slip was environmental analysis rather than a new safety issue. Four disputes are the body of the post.
On the water-cooled steel flame deflector, SpaceX said it had operated under a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality multi-sector general permit, with a permit number active in July 2023, using drinking water, retention basins, and plugged outfalls. It said samples after each use stayed under state discharge standards, and that TCEQ staff were present for the first deluge test. An EPA administrative order in March 2024, SpaceX wrote, came before the agency understood that permit; SpaceX applied for an individual permit in July 2024. Fines from TCEQ and EPA are described as paperwork disagreements the company settled while disagreeing with the allegations. SpaceX quoted its own position that the EPA agreed the deflector’s operation would not have to change, only the permit name. That is the company’s characterization of the settlement.
On the hot-stage ring dropped in the Gulf after Flight 4, SpaceX said a small splashdown shift for Flight 5 did not raise the chance of hitting marine life, but FAA leadership had approved a 60-day consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service that could reset if new questions appeared. On sonic booms, it said FAA and Fish and Wildlife had found no significant impact, and that a slightly larger boom footprint triggered another 60-day consultation. On birds, it said nearly ten years of monitoring under a Fish and Wildlife protocol had not shown population-level effects, that Flight 5 was outside nesting season, and that extra mitigations were still being added.
The post also lists local environmental work: Sea Turtle Inc. transports, adoption of Boca Chica Beach, and quarterly cleanups. Those are company descriptions of its own programs.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Flight 5 vehicles described as ready the first week of August 2024 | Company readiness claim |
| FAA license estimate cited as late November, versus an earlier mid-September date | Company account of the FAA estimate |
| Deluge permit number described as active July 2023; individual permit applied for July 2024 | Company permitting account |
| Fines described as settled paperwork disputes | Company characterization; not the agencies’ orders |
Why it matters
The catch attempt this post is impatient for is the one later reports call a success. The environmental section is a primary company statement in a live regulatory fight. Read it as SpaceX’s side, and pair it with the actual TCEQ and EPA documents before treating the fine or the “nothing has to change” line as jointly agreed fact. Sonic boom context is the July 2024 explainer.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, September 10, 2024 — Grade A, company post
- Earlier sonic-boom post cited by SpaceX — Grade A, company post
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