Elon's starship problem

Politico

27-06-2025

With help from Eric Bazail-Eimil and Joe Gould
WELCOME TO POLITICO PRO SPACE. This week saw the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and the photos are stunning. Scroll down to our photo of the week for my favorite pic, and read through for the latest on Starship; a legal challenge to SpaceX; and a possible NASA reorganization.
Email me at [e-mail] with tips, pitches and feedback, and find me on X at @samuelskove. And remember, we're offering this newsletter for free over the next few weeks. After that, it will be available only to POLITICO Pro subscribers. Read all about it here.
The Spotlight
It's been a no good, very bad last six months for Elon Musk's Starship — leading to some dissatisfaction in Congress and raising questions as to whether SpaceX's 'fail fast' philosophy is simply failing.
The 403-foot, totally reusable rocket could dramatically slash the cost of putting satellites into orbit, and one day might serve to transport humans on long-distance space missions, including to Mars.
But the rocket has failed in all four of its last test flights. In January, the rocket began vibrating mid-flight, leading to fuel leaks and an enormous mid-air explosion. A March flight was cut short due to engine failure, while a May flight lost control entirely. In June, Starship did not even make it into the air — a pressurized tank failed while the rocket was still on the ground, leading to an explosion.
Getting the rocket flying is just step one — the company must also successfully refuel the rocket in space for the first time in history, as part of a contracted NASA mission to the moon. NASA has already committed $2.9 billion out of a potential $4.5 billion to the rocket.
Color me skeptical: Some in Congress are not happy with the progress made so far. The failures are 'very concerning,' given the money already spent on the rocket, said a House committee aide, granted anonymity to discuss the issue.
Without more data on the causes of the failures, it's hard to know if the problems indicate a company in chaos or whether they are a predictable part of the challenging rocket design process.
Some of the failures, though, are repeats of problems experienced with past SpaceX rocket iterations. Pressurized tank failures occurred on a different rocket in 2015 and 2016, and SpaceX's second launch ever — back in 2007 — likewise failed due to the rocket vibrating during flight.
Two former SpaceX engineers, granted anonymity to speak freely about past rocket launches, said they saw the failures as a likely cause for concern. 'Blowing up on the pad because the [nitrogen tank] failed — there is no good way to spin that one,' one engineer said.
One possible explanation for the repeat rocket problems could be personnel leaving or transferring within SpaceX, which would lead to a loss of institutional knowledge, said Dan Dumbacher, a former NASA official.
Comeback kid: Musk has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat before, pulling off a successful launch of his first rocket after three failed attempts back in 2008. As the world's richest man, he can also bankroll continued launches and, thanks to a Federal Aviation Administration ruling, has regulatory approval for as many as 25 Starship launches per year.
Some in Congress have signaled they're withholding judgment — for now. The 'process necessarily entails trial and error,' said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who chairs the committee that oversees NASA and commercial space regulation.
SpaceX's ability to transfer reams of test data from failed rockets utilizing the company's Starlink satellite networks, moreover, means that each crash is a significant learning opportunity, said Jan Osburg, senior engineer focusing on aerospace at the RAND corporation. 'They can push a huge amount of real time data of their prototype in flight,' he said.
'I'm sure the folks at SpaceX are all over this and going through everything with a fine tooth comb after every failure,' he added.
Galactic Government
YOU'VE BEEN SERVED: Add one more tally to the list of Elon Musk's woes — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is preparing a lawsuit against SpaceX over debris and 'pollution' from the company's recent rocket launches.
At a Wednesday morning press conference, the Mexican leader told reporters that the Mexican government's lawsuit is tied to rocket launches that have caused 'security and environmental' impacts on Mexican territory.
The suit is not tied specifically to the recent explosion of SpaceX's Starship rocket, Sheinbaum explained, and will also address the general effects of launches on the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which partially borders the company's Texas launch sites.
The government, she said, 'is doing a general review of which international laws are potentially being violated and from there, we will initiate a lawsuit, because in effect there is contamination.'
What next: The timing of the potential lawsuit is unclear, as is the potential viability of the suit.
Mexico could directly sue SpaceX under Article Three, section two of the Constitution, which allows courts to hear cases brought by foreign states, said Joel Graham, a partner at law firm Meeks, Butera and Israel. Another option might be to bring a claim against the United States under the 1972 Liability Convention, which makes countries liable for damage caused by their launches.
The simplest way for Mexico to bring action against SpaceX would be for a private citizen — a Mexican rancher, for example — to make a claim against the company for any damage to their property, Graham said.
NASA Update
Work force shake-up: NASA is considering a redesign of how its top-level of leadership operates, NASA acting administrator Janet Petro said Wednesday in an agency town-hall meeting, according to audio obtained by your host.
Currently, NASA headquarters leads the work of mission directorates, which are organized around key goals, like science or human space exploration. These directorates are then supported by field centers, including Johnson Space Center in Texas — which focuses on human space flight — and Kennedy Space Center, the agency's main rocket launch site.
One of three possible plans under consideration would see the agency organized around its field centers. A second plan would be to continue organizing NASA under mission directorates. And a third plan would focus on NASA's 'product lines' according to Petro, who did not specify what she meant.
Petro said a final plan would be announced in weeks. NASA is separately considering splitting up functions done at headquarters and sending those jobs to its field centers, Petro said, and as I previously reported.
Why it matters: Minimizing, or even potentially removing mission directorates in favor of NASA's centers could streamline NASA operations and theoretically drive faster progress toward goals like human space flight — a key goal of President Donald Trump.
The Reading Room
NASA tested a new SLS booster that may never fly, and the end of it blew off: Ars Technica
Pentagon to consider SpaceX alternative for Space Force satellite program: SpaceNews
New NATO commercial space strategy seeks to prompt more investment: Breaking Defense
ispace Blames Faulty Hardware for Failed Lunar Landing: Payload
Four astronauts launch to the space station as NASA grapples with strange twist in leak issue: CNN
Event Horizon
TUESDAY:
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies holds a virtual discussion on 'resilient, persistent space sensing.'
The Federal Communications Commission holds a virtual meeting of a working group covering satellite and space science services.
WEDNESDAY:
The Intelligence and National Security Alliance will hold a leadership dinner with the US Space Force's Gen. Michael Guetlein.
Making Moves
Will Boyington is now associate administrator for comms at NASA. He previously was director of external comms at Blue Origin.