NASA has some concerns regarding the launch of Elon Musk’s most awaited starship into orbit. The reason for the concern is obvious. The SpaceX Starship is about 400 meters tall along with its Super Heavy Booster stack and has plans to launch from NASA’s launch pad at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral. Therefore, NASA is terrified of the possibility that the starship might blow up during launch, which may prevent the US from approaching the International Space Station.
This Launch Complex 39A is the only launchpad from which astronauts can be sent to the ISS. Moreover, during the Apollo program, NASA transported all of its astronauts to the Moon through this launchpad, and for this reason, it is also called “NASA’s Moonport.” Now, SpaceX is doing the same thing by sending its astronauts to the Moon using this launch pad, but the main problem is this gigantic starship and the destructive effects it would render if it explodes during the launch.
Kathy Lueders, who is NASA’s space operations chief, said, “We all recognize that if you had an early failure like we did on one of the early SpaceX flights, it would be pretty devastating to 39A.” NASA’s fear regarding the explosion of the SpaceX Starship is not invalid because, in the past, many prototypes that were being launched for the first time exploded vigorously, and the enormous fireballs that came down caused massive destruction.
Adhering to the concerns raised by NASA, SpaceX is manufacturing the Starship launchpad, which is located at a distance of about several hundred feet from NASA’s Launch Complex 39A. It has also been reported that along with constructing a new launchpad, SpaceX is also making efforts to make the launch pad 39A more tolerant and sturdier to bounce back abruptly from the effects of any destruction (if it happens).
Lueders stated, “SpaceX is working with us on those things.” Because it’s also in their best interest to not have what is a pretty steady source of income for them become interrupted.” The reason why SpaceX is making all these amendments to the launchpad and is constructing a new one is because of the assertion of the much anticipated environmental assessment by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), which declared that SpaceX needs to “make considerable changes to the site.”