🎇 5 things to expect from Musk in 2022
As 2021 winds down, we brace ourselves for Elon Musk’s packed 2022.
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As 2021 winds down, we brace ourselves for Elon Musk’s packed 2022…regulatory approval pending. It’s all in this subscriber-only Musk Reads+ 113.
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What to expect when…
Elon Musk’s innovation empire comes with a cool whistle, but no $50 piece of metal could protect it from the whims of the global supply chain. Although Musk has a lot of exciting projects planned for 2022, production and supply issues out of his control will likely delay most of them.
… you’re SpaceX
You’d be expecting a lot. Elon Musk is feeling as ambitious as ever for 2022, hoping to launch the still-under-construction Starship 12 times, pending regulatory approval. The Federal Aviation Administration is scheduled to wrap up its environmental assessment on February 28, 2022, delayed from December 31, 2021.
In the best-case scenario, assuming SpaceX passes the FAA’s assessment and SpaceX cures its Raptor production issues, we could expect Starship to fly as early as March. But considering all the delays Starship has already endured, it’s safest to assume the flight will happen later than sooner.
In addition to that huge goal for Starship, which would catapult SpaceX into the next phase of its long-term Martian goals, SpaceX also has around 36 additional launches scheduled. And our count doesn’t even include Starlink launches.
If SpaceX does end up conducting the nearly-40 flights, 2022 will be the biggest launch year for SpaceX yet. Read more on Inverse.