© Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty ImagesWhat it takes to not hit a shark! SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule spacecraft lands in the Gulf of Mexico after completing the Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station • August 2, 2020 • Pensacola, Florida
The Space X company had to grapple with overbearing bureaucracy to convince US government agencies that its ships would not harm sharks and whales when they splash down in the ocean, CEO Elon Musk has revealed.
Speaking at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Musk recalled that the company had to undertake a study "to see if the Starship would hit a shark," drawing a burst of laughter from the crowd.
"I'm like: It's a big ocean, there's a lot of sharks. It's not impossible, but it's very unlikely. I am willing to comply with the National Marine Fisheries' requirements but on condition that they provide me with the relevant shark data for analysis."However, according to Musk, the agency said that it could not provide the data.
"And they said: 'We could give the data to our Western division, but we don't trust them'... Am I in a comedy sketch here?"The tycoon added that Space X later managed to get its hands on the relevant data after all, and was able to provide all the necessary assurances. However the saga did not end there!
According to Musk, the federal government found another cause for environmental concern:
"'Well, what about whales?' When you look at the picture of the Pacific, what percentage of surface area do you see as 'whale'? Honestly, if the ship did hit a whale, the whale had it coming, because the odds are so low. Subsequent analysis found that whales will be fine, too."Pointing out that numerous government agencies have overlapping jurisdictions, Musk lamented:
"It's just one crazy thing after another. I'm really feeling the pain of overregulation. We've got to stop this madness because we won't be able to get anything done."Earlier this month, Space X managed to catch its rapidly-descending Starship booster rocket during a test flight, a feat widely seen as a major step toward making the device fully reusable. The splashdown remains, however, a much more common and easily executed landing procedure.
Musk endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump following the apparent assassination attempt on the candidate in July, donating tens of millions of dollars to his campaign. Meanwhile, the ex-president promised to establish a Musk-led government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government, if he is returned to the White House.
Reader Comments
Insurance is a scam proven.
Large scale - like derivative instruments based upon flawed calculus - a time bomb mathematical about to be proven wrong I reckon -
oh well - let the chips fall where they will but insurance is bs proven.
Ask Flo from Progressive - that bitch.
And for fuck sake the b-crats love to make rules - and that is proven and known and I bet 9/10ths of humanity is sick to too many rules ruin everything....I mean really - too many rules ruin it all for everybody.
And lately the digital masters have gone crazy with so-called "security" when in reality tis nothing but an attempt to take away liberty and what did that ole codger Franklin say about liberty and security....
If you give up liberty for the sake of security you will have neither is what he said, but he ought to have added that those think they pull the strings think they can make rules on the whim cause they think only they have liberty, but guess what - they are about to have their strings CUT.
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Place your bets and live them in action.
Don't let anybody steal your liberty for the sake of false security....
and if a rule makes no sense tis a rule not to comply with...
duh...
you been there?
How can weI can't respect that kind of bureaucrat. To think they take themselves seriously is mind boggling.