Jan 6, 2025 08:44 PM
Parody Corner: If bureaucracy becomes too bloated, lazy, and idealistic to keep up with the pace of change, or thereby failed to anticipate slash prepare for this over a decade ago, then maybe it should just step aside and let those that are still competent with reality handle it...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There’s a traffic jam forming at U.S. rocket launchpads
https://www.wsj.com/science/space-astron..._permalink
EXCERPTS: A traffic jam is forming at U.S. rocket-launch sites. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and other rocket companies are planning to increase flights in the years ahead as they ferry their own satellites or payloads for other customers to space.
The problem: Only three sites in Florida and California handle most U.S. rocket launches, and those locations are expected to become increasingly congested as companies and regulators schedule more missions.
Last year marked a record in U.S. spaceflight with 145 launches reaching orbit, or five times as many as 2017, according to data from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who closely tracks space activities. SpaceX—the world’s top rocket launcher—conducted 134 of that total.
Government officials and industry executives fear that backed-up launch sites would restrict payloads from getting to space in a timely manner. A significant weather event or an accident could put one of the major spaceports out of commission for months or even years, said George Nield, the former top space official at the Federal Aviation Administration.
[...] Launches can’t just occur anywhere. Rockets are typically sent up from coastal areas, where vehicles soar over water and avoid the risks of flying above populated areas.
Developing new launch facilities along coastal areas is difficult, as locals often worry about disruptions and noise. A proposal to develop a new launch site along the coast in southeast Georgia unraveled a couple of years ago amid public opposition.
[...] Government officials are trying to get ahead of the launch congestion. The FAA is leading a group of government agencies to develop a national spaceport strategy, with a report on the matter expected to be released this year, a spokeswoman said... (MORE - details)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There’s a traffic jam forming at U.S. rocket launchpads
https://www.wsj.com/science/space-astron..._permalink
EXCERPTS: A traffic jam is forming at U.S. rocket-launch sites. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and other rocket companies are planning to increase flights in the years ahead as they ferry their own satellites or payloads for other customers to space.
The problem: Only three sites in Florida and California handle most U.S. rocket launches, and those locations are expected to become increasingly congested as companies and regulators schedule more missions.
Last year marked a record in U.S. spaceflight with 145 launches reaching orbit, or five times as many as 2017, according to data from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who closely tracks space activities. SpaceX—the world’s top rocket launcher—conducted 134 of that total.
Government officials and industry executives fear that backed-up launch sites would restrict payloads from getting to space in a timely manner. A significant weather event or an accident could put one of the major spaceports out of commission for months or even years, said George Nield, the former top space official at the Federal Aviation Administration.
[...] Launches can’t just occur anywhere. Rockets are typically sent up from coastal areas, where vehicles soar over water and avoid the risks of flying above populated areas.
Developing new launch facilities along coastal areas is difficult, as locals often worry about disruptions and noise. A proposal to develop a new launch site along the coast in southeast Georgia unraveled a couple of years ago amid public opposition.
[...] Government officials are trying to get ahead of the launch congestion. The FAA is leading a group of government agencies to develop a national spaceport strategy, with a report on the matter expected to be released this year, a spokeswoman said... (MORE - details)