Source: The Economic Times- India Times
According to a regulatory filing from Monday, June 13, SpaceX has reportedly raised $1.68 billion through equity financing. The rocket maker founded by billionaire Elon Musk revealed it in the filing this week.
The company looked to raise as much as $1.725 billion in the fresh financing round, which was revealed in the securities filing from Monday. Moreover, this comes as Musk’s rocket maker heavily invests in its Starship rocket development, along with its Starlink broadband internet satellite constellation.
Earlier on the same day, SpaceX reportedly even received a long awaited approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Essentially, this was regarding its Boca Chica, Texas, Starship development site had no prominent environmental impact. Crucially, this clears a hurdle that added to the delays in the developments of its Mars rocket.
However, despite finding ‘no significant impact,’ the Federal Aviation Administration went on to place certain limitations on its launches. Along with it, placed some requirements regarding steps to limit environmental impacts.
“One step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship,” SpaceX tweeted soon after the decision.
Moreover, the FAA stated that completing the review did not necessarily guarantee the issuance of a vehicle operator license. Notably, this license is contingent upon meeting its requirements for risk, safety and financial responsibility. Further, it stated how owing to the requirements, there will be added advanced notice of launches for reduction of a highway closure at the time of launch operations.
In February, billionaire CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated how he was ‘highly confident’ his new Starship from SpaceX would be successful in reaching the Earth orbit for the first time in 2022. Essentially, this new SpaceX Starship was essentially designed for voyages to Mars and to the moon.
Additionally, the billionaire CEO stated how SpaceX also has a fallback plan in case of a ‘worst case scenario.’ In this case, a full environmental impact statement was reportedly required, or a legal wrangling would threateningly drag on over this issue.
Essentially, Musk’s rocket maker would move its entire Starship programmed to the Kennedy Space Centre located in Capa Canaveral, Florida. According to Musk, this is where the company had received the environmental approval it requires. Reportedly, NASA wants SpaceX to make sure that its plan to launch the next-generation Starship from Florida does not pose a risk to nearby launch infrastructure which could be crucial to the International Space Station.
