The FAA and Fish and Wildlife are forcing SpaceX to undergo a redundant environmental review. There has been no changes since flight 4. There is no need for another environmental review.
The 60+ day delay pushes it to November 10, 2024 or later.
The US election is November 5, 2024.
Elon Musk is now a Trump supporter. Elon Musk has agreed to work to improve US government efficiency if Trump wins the election.
It is an interesting coincidence.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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Musk would LOVE it to be political. The simplest explanation is usually correct. It’s likely anyone of dozens of other factors. Stop needing to see a conspiracy behind every rocket, when things don’t go “your way”.
You are the one making up “conspiracy theories” (“dozens of other factors”).
Yes, in my opinion, it is mostly political.
They would like to shut down X/Twitter. Harassing SpaceX is their second choice.
Gross incompetence by regulators doesn’t usually require an explanation.
This is literally why people vote for Republicans. Regulations often seem fine in theory. The ways they are implemented in practice are often much worse. One solution typically promoted by Republicans is deregulation.
If you want to know how China outcompetes the US at anything, the answer is largely badly enforced regulations.
It won’t happen because Trump will not win the election.
It’s tough sledding. The swamp is thick.
The payoffs to the Biden crime family by the Chinese are yielding positive results.
Brian, it feels like you would “normally” censor this comment?
Yes. Is the answer.
This is absolutely because Musk has been criticizing the Harris administration.
This administration has shown itself to weaponize any branch of government they feel like. FAA, DoJ, it doesn’t matter, most corrupt administration ever.
When this kind of delay happened before, there was not any complaining from Musk. SpaceX had a lot of work still left to do and it was convenient for him have the FAA delay the flight instead of him having to say things are taking longer than planned.
I will be watching to see if Musk complains about this decision. If he does not complain about the delays, then it probably means he was again given a convenient excuse to have more time to get the next flight ready.
What are you talking about? He is writing about it on X, complaining on interviews. What more actions do you want to call it “complaining”?
Elon DARED to support the opposition.
Now the establishment bureaucracy will grind his company down with endless reviews, public meetings about the reviews, questions that require additional reviews of the reviews, etc.
Deliberate bureaucratic delays is a form of governmental corruption.
What probably matters the most is if there is a successful test flight before the NASA transition team starts working. I am presuming that IFT-5 will be successful in both catching the first stage and re-entry and hover of the second stage. That amazing and very public accomplishment will likely have a significant impact on the space policies of either administration. A two-month delay probably won’t make a significant difference. If the first stage crashes into the tower and explodes then having done that two months earlier probably won’t make any difference in terms of policy.