Not according to the company, which took to social media platform X, owned by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, to rebut a report published Monday.

Sources within the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shared with CNBC previously unreported notices and investigative records, which allege that SpaceX violated several clean water regulations. The company employs a water deluge system, common at launchpads such as Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, to absorb heat and vibrations from firing rocket engines.

But according to CNBC, the firm’s use of that system this year—including during the third orbital test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, and the Super Heavy booster—may be discharging industrial wastewater without TCEQ or EPA permission.

SpaceX swiftly refuted the CNBC report in a lengthy post on X, characterizing the story as “factually inaccurate.”

According to the company, the water deluge system uses potable, or drinking, water and has been authorized for operation by both the TCEQ and EPA, which filed their notices one week and five months ago, respectively.

“Throughout our ongoing coordination with both TCEQ and the EPA, we have explicitly asked if operation of the deluge system needed to stop and we were informed that operations could continue,” SpaceX said.

Neither agency immediately responded to FLYING’s request for comment.

Typically, a launch provider must be compliant with state and federal laws to obtain launch permissions from the FAA. On Monday, the aviation regulator postponed several meetings intended for stakeholders to provide feedback on SpaceX’s proposal to launch Starship from Starbase as many as 25 times per year. The agency did not provide a reason for the postponements.

“The FAA apologizes for any inconvenience,” it said. “Public meetings will be rescheduled; however, the docket remains open to receive public comments.”

Conflicting Accounts

Interestingly, CNBC and SpaceX cite the same sources to make their respective claims, raising questions about whether one party received bad information.

Starbase’s deluge system was installed after Starship’s maiden flight in April 2023, the impact of which sent debris flying miles away, led to an FAA investigation, and brought a lawsuit against the agency and SpaceX from five environmental groups. It was first tested in July with TCEQ personnel onsite, SpaceX said.

But regulators told CNBC the firm skipped a crucial step in the permitting process related to wastewater management. In its notice to SpaceX, TCEQ said it received 14 complaints claiming that the deluge system was harming the surrounding environment, including one last August alleging that Starbase was discharging industrial wastewater without a permit. 

Last month, a TCEQ investigation found that SpaceX did so four times between March and July. According to a SpaceX permit filing viewed by CNBC, some of that water contained concentrations of mercury that exceed water quality limits.

SpaceX on Monday, however, painted a very different picture. According to the company, no water samples tested were found to have mercury levels above EPA limits. It elaborated on Tuesday with another post claiming that the figures the outlet viewed were simply incorrect.

“While there may be a typo in one table of the initial TCEQ’s public version of the permit application, the rest of the application and the lab reports clearly states that levels of Mercury found in non-stormwater discharge associated with the water deluge system are well below state and federal water quality criteria,” the company said.

The firm flatly denied that any industrial wastewater is spewing from Starbase, claiming that the deluge system’s potable water is never used in or exposed to industrial processes.

It also said the landing pad is power washed prior to activating the system and that soil, air, and water samples are analyzed by an independent laboratory after each use. According to the company, most of the water is either vaporized by the heat of the engines or captured in special ponds, with only a tiny amount escaping the pad.

SpaceX further claimed it is well within its right to operate the system.

The EPA sent the company a formal notice of violation of the Clean Water Act the day before Starship’s third test flight in March. But according to the firm, the agency made a mistake.

“When the EPA issued their administrative order in March 2024, it was done without an understanding of basic facts of the deluge system’s operation or acknowledgement that we were operating under the Texas Multi-Sector General Permit,” SpaceX said.

Per the company’s version of events, the EPA agreed to allow it to continue using the system as it worked toward obtaining an individual permit from TCEQ, “because the deluge system has always complied with common conditions set by an individual permit, and causes no harm to the environment.”

It submitted a permit application on July 1 and said the agency is expected to issue a draft individual permit and agreed compliance order this week.

If SpaceX is ultimately found to be in violation of TCEQ and EPA rules, it could have a ripple effect on the Starship program, which is under pressure to meet obligations for NASA’s Artemis moon mission program as well as commercial customers.

According to the company, the rocket is ready to launch on its fifth test flight pending regulatory approval, but that may be difficult to obtain if it isn’t compliant with regulations. The firm will need to complete several more Starship test flights before the spacecraft is authorized for service missions.

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That’s not the beginning of a bad joke, but rather a description of SpaceX’s newly announced human spaceflight mission, which as soon as this year will send four astronauts to the ends of the Earth for the first time in history.

The company on Monday unveiled Fram2—a mission to explore the planet’s polar regions, over which no spacecraft has ever flown directly. During the three-to-five-day mission, which will launch from Florida atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the crew will enter a 90-degree polar orbit and observe the Arctic and Antarctic wilderness through a cupola fitted to the company’s Dragon capsule.

No crewed spacecraft has ever reached an orbital path higher than 65 degrees, a feat the Soviet Vostok 6 mission, which carried the first woman to space, achieved in 1963. Typically, such orbits are occupied by smaller satellites, while larger spacecraft such as the International Space Station fly closer to the equator.

The expedition, named after the ship Fram used by Norwegian explorers to reach the poles in the late 19th century, will be Dragon’s sixth commercial astronaut mission and third free-flying mission. The spacecraft has flown three private missions to the ISS for customer Axiom Space, completed the Inspiration4 private orbital spaceflight on behalf of billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, and will launch another mission for Isaacman—Polaris Dawn—as soon as this month.

“Polaris Program, Inspiration4, Axiom, & now Fram2 showcase what commercial missions can achieve thanks to @SpaceX’s reusability and NASA’s vision with the commercial crew program,” Isaacman said in a post on social media platform X, which is owned by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. “All just small steps towards unlocking the last great frontier.”

Fram2 similarly is backed by a wealthy CEO, entrepreneur and adventurer Chun Wang, who made his fortune from Bitcoin mining. Wang purchased the mission for an undisclosed amount and will serve as commander.

According to his profile on X, Wang is an avid traveler who has visited half of the world’s countries and territories. But he has grander aspirations.

“I’ve read many sci-fi stories about the first human missions to Mars, usually led by NASA or some fictional government,” Wang said in a post on X. “Rarely does anyone dare to imagine such a mission may be carried out privately. But now, I increasingly believe that someday we will reach Mars—and it may be a person, or a company, not a nation, who gets there.”

Accompanying Wang will be commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, pilot Eric Philips of Australia, and mission specialist Rabea Rogge of Germany, who told the website Everyday Astronaut they befriended the blockchain entrepreneur on a trek to the North Pole. All four crew members will be making their first trip to the final frontier.

Mikkelson is a filmmaker who seeks out remote or hazardous filming locations and served as payload specialist on the 2019 One More Orbit mission—a record-breaking polar circumnavigation flight on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

According to its website, Fram2 will shatter One More Orbit’s high water mark of 46 hours and 40 minutes, achieved in a Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER ultra-long-range business jet, by flying from the north to south pole in just 46 minutes.

Philips, a polar adventurer and guide, knows those regions well, having completed several ski expeditions. But viewing them from orbit has never been possible, even for astronauts on the ISS, to whom they appear invisible.

Fram2 will orbit at about 264-280 miles above Earth, allowing the crew to study strange green and purple light emissions known as Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancements (STEVE), atmospheric phenomena that resemble auroras. Researchers have yet to determine what causes the optical abnormalities. The mission will weigh input from space physicists and citizen scientists alike.

“Having spent much of my adult life in the polar regions this is an incredible opportunity to view the Arctic and Antarctica from space, in particular Antarctica which will be fully lit at this time of year,” said Philips.

Rogge similarly has a fascination with extreme environments, having researched ocean robotics in the Arctic in pursuit of ways to improve the technology. She will get the chance to study tools that could prepare humans for future missions to Mars and beyond, “from capturing the first human x-ray images in space to Just-in-Time training tools to the effects of spaceflight on behavioral health,” according to Fram2’s webpage. The crew will also study what happens to the human body after weeks or months in space.

“Wang aims to use the mission to highlight the crew’s explorational spirit, bring a sense of wonder and curiosity to the larger public, and highlight how technology can help push the boundaries of exploration of Earth and through the mission’s research,” SpaceX said in an update on its website.

Since 2020, SpaceX has flown 50 astronauts to low-Earth orbit across 13 human spaceflight missions, more than any private company. These include the three Axiom Space missions, Inspiration4, and eight NASA Commercial Crew rotation missions to the ISS, as well as the Demo-2 test flight.

Competitors Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, meanwhile, have each completed seven commercial human spaceflights.

All three companies, in addition to NASA contractors such as Boeing and Northrop Grumman, are part of an emerging trend that could soon become the norm. NASA has predicted that when the ISS is retired at the end of the decade, it could become one of many customers enlisting the services of private spaceflight companies, rather than a provider of those services.

That could mean more private astronaut missions financed by millionaire and billionaire backers.

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To be clear, you don’t need FAA approval to fly a drone recreationally, so long as you stick to the agency’s guidelines for recreational fliers and community-based organizations. But to start a career as a commercial drone pilot, you’ll need to check a few boxes first.

Luckily, the process is fairly straightforward. According to the FAA, some 4,500 people apply for Part 107 certification each month, and only about 0.7 percent are rejected. Still, there are a few things you need to know before diving into the certification process—and a few to keep in mind after.

You’ll find all of them and more in FLYING’s drone pilot certification guide. Read on to learn how you can launch your career as a drone operator in just a few weeks.

What Can You Do With a Drone License?

A drone license, also known as a Remote Pilot Certificate, allows you to operate drones commercially. This certification, issued by the FAA, allows you to use a drone for profit. With the rise of drone technology, licensed pilots are in high demand. While the list of applications for drone technology is extensive, here are several you may find interesting as a new drone operator.

• Aerial Photography and Videography: Capture stunning aerial images and videos for events, real estate listings, and marketing materials.
• Precision Agricultural: Drones can be used to survey crops, monitor plant health, and manage agricultural resources more efficiently.
• Construction Site Mapping: Create detailed maps and 3D models of construction sites to improve project planning and monitoring.
• Infrastructure Inspection: Inspect bridges, power lines, and other critical infrastructure safely and efficiently, reducing the need for dangerous manual inspections.
• Search and Rescue Operations: Assist in locating missing persons or animals, delivering supplies, and providing real-time situational awareness during emergencies.
• Environmental Monitoring:: Conduct wildlife surveys, track environmental changes, and monitor conservation areas.
• Surveying and Mapping: Perform land surveys and create accurate maps for urban planning, property development, and resource management.
• Film and Television Production: Contribute to the production of films, TV shows, and commercials by providing unique aerial shots and perspectives.
• Security and Surveillance: Support security operations by providing aerial surveillance for large events, industrial sites, and private properties.

Start Your Application

The bogeyman of Part 107 remote pilot certification is the airman knowledge test, a set of 60 questions that assess the applicant’s knowledge of drone regulations, requirements, safety protocols, approved operations, and more. Before diving into it, though, there are a few things you’ll need to do.

If you’re a current Part 61 pilot certificate holder, skip ahead now to the “For Part 61 Holders” section—your path is simpler than it would be for a completely new applicant.

Drone License Requirements

To start your application and take the knowledge test to become a drone pilot, you must be 16 years old. The FAA lists three additional eligibility requirements.

• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.
• Be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a drone.
• Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam: “Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)”.

If that sounds like you, good news: with a passing test score you’ll earn a remote pilot certification in just a few weeks.

FAA Registration 

Next, you’ll need to create a profile on the FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) to obtain an FAA tracking number (FTN). If you’ve previously been issued an airman certificate, you already have an FTN—just log in or register for an IACRA account and enter your certificate number to find it.

If you haven’t, simply register for an account with some basic personal information (name, date of birth, etc.) and a username and password, and IACRA will assign an FTN in seconds.

Once you have it, you’re ready to schedule your knowledge test. To do so, register with the FAA’s testing vendor PSI Services via this portal, which will ask for your FTN and other basic information. Then you’ll need to apply for the “Unmanned Aircraft General—Small (UAG)” exam and select a nearby testing center.

Finally, the site will take you through payment—typically around $175 per appointment—and allow you to schedule the test several weeks in advance (some centers may also allow cancellations).

Now, it’s time to…

Prepare for the Knowledge Test

While it may seem daunting, you can easily pass the exam as long as you study. You only need a score of 70 percent or higher to pass. Students who use online courses and additional study materials typically have a 99 percent chance of passing.

As for the material itself, here are the subject areas you should familiarize yourself with:

• Regulations for small UAS rating privileges, limitations, and flight operations.
• Airspace classification, operating requirements, and flight restrictions.
• Weather sources and the impact of weather on small UAS.
• Loading and performance.
• Operations such as emergency procedures, crew resource management, and maintenance.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all that information, don’t be—there are study materials out there to help you. Online classes in particular usually offer graded quizzes, flashcards, and practice exams. These features build confidence and are surprisingly close to what the actual test looks like.

If you’re in need of more guidance, you might try getting advice from a certified flight instructor—if they’re up to date on certification, they’ll be familiar with the ins and outs of the knowledge test and the certification process at large. You could also contact the FAA’s UAS support center or look into non-FAA study guides.

When the day of the test arrives, make sure to jot down your FTN and bring the proper government-issued identification information (which varies depending on citizenship status) to the testing center. Once there, the staff at the testing center will walk you through the process. They should provide you with everything you need to take the exam. You are not allowed to bring notes or other materials into the testing area.

As soon as you finish, you’ll receive your scores on a printed Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR). If you passed, congratulations! You’ll now have 24 months to complete your remote pilot application while the results are valid.

If not, don’t panic. You’ll need to wait two weeks, but applicants can retake the test as many times as they want. The process is nearly identical: You’ll need to reschedule an appointment through PSI and submit your AKTR (which tells you exactly what you got wrong on the previous attempt). Unfortunately, you will also need to pay the $175 fee again. Be sure you hit the books during the 14 day waiting period.

Keep on trying until eventually…

You Passed! What Now?

Almost there! To finish your drone certification application, log in to IACRA and click on the Applicant Console, then “Start New Application.” That will open a drop-down list—from there, select “Pilot” and click “Remote Pilot,” then “Start Application,” which will take you to Form 8710-13.

You’ll be prompted to answer a few simple questions and asked for your photo ID information, as well as your 17-digit knowledge test exam ID (which can take up to three days to appear in IACRA). After signing and submitting the application, you’ll also need to complete a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security background check. The TSA can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to complete this check. It all depends on how big their backlog is.

Soon after, you should receive a confirmation email with instructions for printing a temporary remote pilot certificate—and the permanent version will arrive in the mail in a few weeks!

The final step: Register your drone for $5 by logging in or creating an account with FAADroneZone and selecting “Fly a sUAS under Part 107.” You can then mark the drone with your registration number, which is valid for three years.

And with that, you can officially fly drones less than 55 pounds for work or business as a Part 107 certified remote drone pilot!

For Part 61 Holders

If you don’t already hold a Part 61 certificate, this section won’t apply to you. But for those who have already been certified as pilots, flight instructors, or ground instructors and have completed a flight review in the past 24 months, your path to remote drone pilot is streamlined.

First, log in to your FAA Safety Team account or create a new one. Then use those credentials to enroll in the Part 107 Small UAS Initial (ALC-451) online training course, which will cover the same information evaluated on the knowledge test. There is no passing or failing.

From there, log in to your IACRA account or create a new one and navigate to Form 8710-13. Once that application is complete and submitted for processing, the final step is making an appointment with one of the entities below to validate your identity:

• FAA Flight Standards District Office
• FAA-designated pilot examiner
• Airmen certification representative
• FAA-certificated flight instructor

You’ll need to bring the completed Form 8710-13, proof of your current flight review, a photo ID, and your online training course completion certificate to the appointment. Then, a representative will sign your application and issue a temporary airman certificate—the permanent version will arrive in the mail a few weeks later.

And with that, you’re ready to fly!

Stay Up to Date

Now that you’re out in the world making deliveries, taking photos, conducting inspections, or performing some other kind of remote drone pilot work, it can be tempting to forget your roots. But even after certification, it’s crucial to remember the knowledge that got you there.

The FAA tells FLYING that all Part 107 certificated pilots must keep up to date with the rules for safe flying outlined under Part 107 of the federal aviation regulations, or 14 CFR Part 107. They must also be aware of flight restrictions such as “no drone zones,” which can be seen on platforms like Airspace Link, AutoPylot, Avision, and UAS Sidekick as well as other applications.

To ensure pilots are in the loop, the agency requires them to have completed an online training course within the past 24 months to fly under Part 107. 

And don’t forget: You must have your remote pilot certificate physically accessible while conducting Part 107 operations. As long as you stay up to date, you shouldn’t have any issues flying your drone for work or business. 

If you pay any attention to drone regulations, you’re likely well aware of the myriad restrictions that come with a Part 107 license, some of which will limit your work opportunities. Luckily, we’ve got you covered: Read on to learn how you can take your skills to the next level.

The Wide World of Part 107 Waivers

Now that you’ve obtained your Part 107 certification, plenty of drone pilot careers await. But why limit yourself? By applying for an individual Part 107 waiver, you can gain new capabilities from the FAA that might open more drone flying license opportunities.

The agency provides a handy guide that breaks down which waivers skirt which rules. But here are a few examples:

• Waiving section 107.25 enables you to operate from a moving vehicle.
• Waiving section 107.29 allows flights at night without anti-collision lighting.
• Waiving section 107.31 permits flights beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS).
• Waiving section 107.35 gives one pilot permission to fly multiple drones.

But before you start plowing through applications, make sure you know what you’re getting into. The FAA’s section specific evaluation information explains the restrictions removed by each waiver, as well as how the agency evaluates applications.

For example, when applying for an exception to section 107.31—which calls for operations within the visual line of sight—the FAA will want to see that your drone has a powerful signal spectrum or detect-and-avoid system to navigate the airspace. It might also award points if you use ground-based radar or a visual observer to track the drone.

Applying for a Waiver

When you’ve determined which waivers you’d like to secure, head over to FAADroneZone, log in, add “Drone Owners and Pilots” to your services, and launch the dashboard. Then click “Create Part 107 Waiver or Authorization” and follow the prompts—the site will tell you which waivers are applicable based on the specifications you provide.

Next, you’ll need to provide your mailing address, phone number, and Part 107 certification number. On the following page, you’ll select your waivers, share operation parameters (such as location and start and end dates), and explain your plan to mitigate the risks of operating without certain restrictions. You can even upload supporting documents to further outline your plan.

Requesting an exemption to section 107.39 (operations over people) will also require you to include your drone’s registration number, model, and manufacturer. But otherwise, you’re ready to submit the application.

After your application is received, the FAA may ask for additional information. And if all goes smoothly, you’ll receive the agency’s decision within 90 days of submission.

Finalize Your Drone Pilot Flight Plan

Now what? Well, that’s about it. You’ve made it through certification, kept up to date with drone regulations, and secured the necessary waivers to fly how you want. All that’s left is finding drone pilot jobs—and there are a lot out there.

A quick Google search will turn up hundreds of openings for remote drone pilots across industries such as logistics, agriculture, law enforcement, defense, and plenty more. It may not be what you imagined in high school, but you could finally get that aeronautical job at Google (flying for Wing) or Amazon (directing operations for Prime Air). 

Or you could get in on the ground floor at any number of drone startups like Flytrex, DroneUp, or Volansi. Even non-drone companies such as Dish and SAIC are searching for drone operators—the possibilities are endless.

FAQ

Do drone pilots need a degree?

No. There is no requirement for drone pilots to have a degree.

Is becoming a drone pilot worth it?

Yes. Becoming a drone pilot can be a very rewarding experience. In addition to working with cutting-edge technology, many pilots are able to make a comfortable living operating drones.

Do drone pilots make money?

Yes. The earning potential for drone pilots can exceed over $100,000 per year in many markets.

The post You (Probably) Have What It Takes To Be a Drone Pilot appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Israeli company Flytrex on Friday announced the milestone, which it believes makes it the largest commercial provider of food drone delivery in the U.S. The firm said 70 percent of the households in its delivery areas—which comprise a handful of towns in North Carolina and Texas—have used the service to deliver items such as sandwiches, hot wings, and even ice cream.

“We are focused on bringing our customers the best experience—and that includes delivery that is convenient for their schedules and preferences,” said Scott Scherer, chief information officer of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems.

Zipline leads the commercial drone industry in deliveries with more than 1 million as of August, but the company primarily delivers medical items such as blood samples and vaccines. Similarly, Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, has completed 350,000 deliveries as of January, flying a combination of food and convenience items with partners such as DoorDash and Walmart. But it’s unclear what proportion of those are in the U.S., as the company also has a robust presence in Australia.

Flytrex, by contrast, is focused almost exclusively on food delivery in the U.S. The company’s self-flying drones, which are monitored by FAA-certified operators, can carry up to 5.5 pounds of cargo and fly at around 32 mph, covering a range of 5 miles round trip.

Average delivery time is less than five minutes, with the fastest order being completed in just two minutes. A delivery box is fastened to the drone and lowered to the ground with a tether, protecting delicate items such as eggs. Orders are delivered either to the customer’s house or a public pickup spot.

The FAA in 2021 approved Flytrex’s request to fly over people and deliver to customers’ backyards in North Carolina, allowing it to begin flying commercially. Later that year, around the same time Flytrex launched in Texas, the agency expanded the range of the company’s service to 1 nm, then doubled it in 2022. According to the firm, the second expansion allowed it to reach nearly 100,000 customers.

Last year, Flytrex operating partner Causey Aviation Unmanned became just the fifth company—joining Zipline, Wing, Amazon Prime Air, and UPS Flight Forward—to earn FAA Part 135 permissions for drone delivery, which according to the regulator “is the only path for small drones to carry the property of another for compensation beyond visual line of sight.”

The key phrase there is beyond visual line of sight (or BVLOS as it is known in drone industry parlance), which denotes flights beyond the pilot’s field of view. The FAA has yet to finalize regulations on BVLOS operations, which has forced drone delivery providers to obtain waivers to add the permissions.

These exemptions typically expire after a couple of years. However, a Part 135 holder can have BVLOS permissions added to its certificate, as Zipline and Wing have done, rather than requesting temporary relief.

“Flytrex continuously innovates to overcome delivery challenges, ensuring our drones can handle anything from large and heavy family meals to bad weather and oddly shaped packages,” said Yariv Bash, CEO and cofounder of Flytrex.

According to Flytrex, french fries, chicken nuggets, turkey sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, and burrito bowls have been the company’s most popular restaurant orders, while bananas, limes, and ice cream reign supreme at grocery stores. About 36 percent of all grocery orders included some kind of fresh produce.

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Germany’s Volocopter last year hatched a plan with international airport operator Groupe ADP to ferry spectators around the 2024 Paris Olympic Games using its VoloCity air taxi, which would mark the aircraft’s commercial rollout. The firm even extended an invite to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government approved the flights earlier this year, to be its first passenger.

But the company was unable to certify its two-seat design, built for a pilot plus one passenger, in time to fly people at the global event.

Another eVTOL manufacturer, China’s AutoFlight, also partnered with Groupe ADP last year to demonstrate its self-flying Prosperity air taxi at the Games but has yet to announce any test flights.

Still, it wasn’t a total wash for Volocopter. The firm managed to complete two test flights, one on Wednesday and another on Sunday.

The first took place at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École (LFPZ), one of five sites where the partners are constructing vertiports to support commercial operations. These vertical takeoff and landing hubs, similar to heliports, are built with electric charging stations to support eVTOL aircraft.

Big Plans for Paris

Groupe ADP is developing additional vertiports at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG), Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LFPB), and Paris Heliport, as well as a special floating landing pad on the River Seine that Volocopter can use until the end of the year. These five locations will be linked by five eVTOL air taxi routes: three public transit routes and two round-trip tourism routes.

According to Volocopter, the vertiport at Saint-Cyr-l’École is the first bespoke commercial location within its approved Paris route network. Wednesday’s crewed test flight was conducted under a permit to fly awarded by France’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), kicking off an operational validation test campaign.

The company will need to demonstrate flight maneuvers around the vertiport, ground handling, communication with air traffic control, battery charging, and more. The campaign is the culmination of years of testing at Pontoise airfield, the site of Paris’ first inaugurated vertiport.

“For now, test flights are carried out without passengers, but once the aircraft is certified, we will test emergency medical flights with AP-HP (Ile-de-France University Hospital Centre),” said Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO of Groupe ADP. “Innovation in the field of aeronautics needs time to remove obstacles regarding safety, but we remain convinced that new carbon-free air mobilities around eVTOLs will offer helpful services that go way beyond the transportation of passengers.”

Volocopter followed that test flight with a second at the World Heritage Palace of Versailles on Sunday, soaring over the palace’s lush gardens during a demonstration attended by Groupe ADP and DGAC officials.

The venue hosted several 2024 Olympic events and was the site of the first hot-air balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. Authorization for the flight was awarded on the final day of the Games by the Château de Versailles, City of Versailles, Yvelines Prefecture, and DGAC.

“The sustainable air mobility community is still at the start line, but today’s flight in this exceptional environment was the perfect closing ceremony to our summer, as we look forward to returning to Paris very soon,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter.

The company said it hopes to fly in central Paris later this year, with aspirations to launch passenger operations from its river barge vertiport on the Seine. A Groupe ADP official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the partners hope to fly passengers over the river by the time Notre Dame Cathedral, which burned down more than five years ago, is reopened in December.

Volocopter next year also expects to begin trials of an emergency medical service in Germany with partner ADAC Luftrettung, which last year agreed to purchase two custom-built VoloCity aircraft and could buy as many as 150.

Why Didn’t They Fly?

Beyond test flights, the firm’s primary goal is to obtain type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the elusive approval that would have allowed it to fly passengers at the Olympics. So far, only one eVTOL manufacturer—China’s EHang—has received type certification from its country’s aviation regulator, though many others have begun the process.

Arkwright told AFP that Volocopter’s VoloCity suffered “a delay of a few weeks” in certification due to issues affecting the aircraft’s motor. The air taxi features 18 motors and rotors powered by electricity from nine lithium-ion battery packs, giving it a range of about 19 nm at a cruise speed approaching 60 knots.

Hoke said the issue traces back to “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised.”

Passenger flights at the Olympics also faced political barriers from local French officials, many of whom characterized the project as environmentally harmful and air taxis as a service for the wealthy. In response, Volocopter and Groupe ADP have altered their tone by touting other use cases, such as emergency response.

Paris’ city hall even took legal action against the proposal, but according to AFP, French administrative officials ruled against it “pending a decision on the merits of the case, expected in the autumn.”

Though Volocopter failed to meet its goal, the company will have another chance to showcase its aircraft on the world stage at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. By then, the FAA expects to have laid the groundwork for commercial air taxi routes to be flown routinely.

Manufacturer Archer Aviation earlier this month expressed its desire to be flying in the city by the time the Games begin, while competitors Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero, the eVTOL subsidiary of Boeing, plan to operate there as well. Wisk further intends to demonstrate its self-flying design at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.

The companies’ objective is to boost public acceptance of the novel aircraft, which they claim will be far quieter and more sustainable than helicopters. Some have already managed to convince major U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines, to make investments or commitments to the technology.

Among American manufacturers, Archer and Joby are the closest to receiving type certification. Both companies hope to begin flying passengers next year.

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The 38-page document, released Wednesday, paints the manufacturer’s quality control practices as inadequate and its workforce as insufficiently trained, blaming it for cost increases and schedule delays in the development of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B. Yet the space agency has neglected to punish Boeing financially for these flaws, arguing that doing so would run contrary to the terms of its contract.

The heavy-lift rocket, a more powerful configuration of NASA’s existing SLS Block 1, is intended to make its maiden voyage in 2028 on the Artemis IV mission, a crewed lunar landing. It has been under development since 2014. Boeing is under contract to build Block 1B’s Exploration Upper Stage (EUS)—which will increase the SLS’ cargo capacity by about 40 percent—as well as the core stages for Block 1 on Artemis I and the upcoming Artemis II. Other SLS contractors include Aerojet Rocketdyne and Northrop Grumman.

A Day Late, A Dollar Short

Originally, the EUS was allocated a budget of $962 million and intended to fly on Artemis II, which in January was pushed to no earlier than September 2025. But by the OIG’s estimate, EUS costs are expected to balloon to $2 billion through 2025 and reach $2.8 billion by the time Artemis IV lifts off in 2028.

The office projects total SLS Block 1B costs will hit $5.7 billion before then—that’s more than $700 million over the Agency Baseline Commitment (ABC) NASA made last year. The EUS, at nearly triple its original budget, would account for close to half of those costs.

Add to that an expected six-year delay in the delivery of the system, and the OIG predicts Artemis IV’s launch could be postponed.

“NASA’s fiscal year 2024 SLS Program budget projections do not account for the additional funds needed for EUS development in fiscal years 2024 through 2027,” the report says. “Without additional funding, scheduled work will continue to be pushed into subsequent years as has been the case for the EUS over the last decade, leading to further cost increases and schedule delays.”

For example, the OIG says, NASA is evaluating potential risks to the EUS stage controller and avionics that could delay its delivery by another 14 months. NASA officials disagreed with the analysis.

Mismanaged and Inexperienced

The OIG interviewed officials at NASA headquarters, Marshall Space Flight Center, Michoud Assembly Facility, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), and Boeing. It also reviewed NASA and its contractors’ budgets, contract obligations, and quality control documents, among other materials.

In short, the office found that Boeing’s quality management system at Michoud does not adhere to NASA or international standards.

For example, Boeing Defense’s Earned Value Management System (EVMS)—which NASA uses to measure contract cost and schedule progress and is required on all projects with a lifecycle cost greater than $250M—has been disapproved by the Department of Defense since 2020. Officials claim this precludes Boeing from reliably predicting an EUS delivery date.

“Boeing’s process for addressing contractual noncompliance has been ineffective, and the company has generally been nonresponsive in taking corrective actions when the same quality control issues reoccur,” the OIG says.

The DCMA has issued several corrective action requests (CARs), handed down when quality control issues are identified, for the EVMS. Between September 2021 and September 2023, the agency issued Boeing a whopping 71 CARs after identifying quality control issues in the manufacturing of core and upper stages at Michoud. According to officials, that’s a massive number for a system that has been in development for so long.

“Boeing officials incorrectly approved hardware processing under unacceptable environmental conditions, accepted and presented damaged seals to NASA for inspection, and used outdated versions of work orders,” the report says. “DCMA also found that Boeing personnel made numerous administrative errors through changes to certified work order data without proper documentation.”

According to Safety and Mission Assurance officials at NASA and DCMA officials at Michoud, Boeing’s quality control issues stem from a workforce that is, by and large, unqualified.

During a visit to Michoud in 2023, for example, inspectors discovered that welding on a component of the SLS Core Stage 3 did not meet NASA standards. Per the report, unsatisfactory welding performed on a set of fuel tanks led directly to a seven-month delay in EUS completion.

“According to NASA officials, the welding issues arose due to Boeing’s inexperienced technicians and inadequate work order planning and supervision,” the OIG says. “The lack of a trained and qualified workforce increases the risk that Boeing will continue to manufacture parts and components that do not adhere to NASA requirements and industry standards.”

Complicating matters further is the relocation of SLS core stage production for Artemis III from Michoud to Kennedy, which will require Boeing to transition a decade of production processes developed at the former site to the latter.

The OIG said the manufacturer is developing a more robust, hands-on training program that could revamp its workforce but is long overdue.

“Some technicians reported they had to hunt through layers of documentation to identify required instructions and documentation of work history and key decisions related to the hardware,” the report says.

Further, maintaining that workforce may be difficult—the OIG predicts Boeing will spend an average of $26 million per month on EUS personnel through 2027. That was the norm for the company from February to August 2023.

Boeing management has also dropped the ball at higher levels. For instance, in the leadup to Artemis I, Boeing underestimated the complexity of building the SLS core stage, and EUS funding had to be redirected to that project.

“This ultimately led to a nearly one-year delay in EUS work and an additional $4 billion in funding to Boeing to cover the costs for the core stage development work,” according to the OIG.

In addition, NASA officials believe Boeing’s supply chain woes are of its own making, stemming from late negotiations and contract agreements.

Next Steps for NASA

The OIG report paints the picture of a company in disarray from top to bottom.

The office did not pin the blame entirely on Boeing. It criticized NASA, for example, for spending more than $3 billion over ten years without submitting an ABC to Congress and the Office of Budget and Management. The ABC is the only official cost and schedule baseline used to measure project performance against expectations.

The office’s four recommendations, however, center around the manufacturer.

First, the OIG calls on the associate administrator of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), alongside the agency’s assistant administrator for procurement and chief of safety and mission assurance, to collaborate with Boeing on a more robust, NASA-approved quality management system. It also recommends officials penalize the company financially for its previous violations.

The OIG further directs the ESDMD to conduct a cost overrun analysis of Boeing’s EUS contract to minimize the impact to Artemis missions. Finally, it asks the associate administrator to coordinate with the DCMA to ensure Boeing’s compliance with EVMS requirements.

NASA agreed with three of the four recommendations and proposed actions to take. Interestingly, though, it rejected the suggestion of fining Boeing.

“NASA interprets this recommendation to be directing NASA to institute penalties outside the bounds of the contract,” said Catherine Koerner, deputy associate administrator of the ESDMD, in NASA’s response to the report. “There are already authorities in the contract, such as award fee provisions, which enable financial ramifications for noncompliance with quality control standards.”

Essentially, the agency believes it can keep Boeing in check by rewarding good behavior rather than penalizing mismanagement. The OIG, predictably, disagrees, characterizing NASA as “unresponsive” to what it considers significant safety concerns.

“In the end, failure to address these issues may not only hinder the Block 1B’s readiness for Artemis IV but also have a cascading impact on the overall sustainability of the Artemis campaign and NASA’s deep space human exploration efforts,” the report says.

Boeing will look to improve some of its quality control issues under the leadership of new CEO Kelly Ortberg, the ex-boss of Rockwell Collins who took over after the ousting of former CEO Dave Calhoun.

Calhoun’s departure this month comes as the company continues to be grilled over the loss of a door plug on a Boeing 737 Max 9 in January as well as persistent issues with Starliner, its semireusable spacecraft under contract with NASA for astronaut rotation missions to the  International Space Station. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams may end up spending eight months on the orbital laboratory, rather than eight days as intended.

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The company on Thursday announced it intends to launch a city center-to-airport network in Los Angeles by 2026, building on its plans to fly in New York City and Chicago. The service is meant to replace one-to-two-hour drives by car with more direct aerial routes while remaining cost competitive with ground-based rideshare options such as Uber and Lyft.

Archer in July also struck a deal with Southwest Airlines to connect Southwest terminals across California, where it is in the process of building a network of hubs linking South San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Oakland, and Livermore.

The manufacturer’s flagship Midnight air taxi is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on back-to-back, 20-to-50 sm, 10-to-20-minute trips, with only a few minutes of charge time in between. The company hopes to obtain type certification from the FAA in time for a 2025 commercial rollout in New York and Chicago.

After that, it will set its sights on Los Angeles, where it intends to connect key locations such as Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Orange County, Santa Monica, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, Van Nuys, and the University of Southern California with vertiports. These takeoff and landing hubs are akin to heliports but will include electric aircraft chargers for Midnight and other electric aircraft to juice up.

Archer also has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FBO network Signature Aviation to install electric chargers at more than 200 Signature terminals nationwide, adding to the number of potential takeoff and landing sites for Midnight.

Archer competitor Joby Aviation is also looking to fly in the Los Angeles area in partnership with Delta Air Lines and earlier this year began the process of installing eVTOL infrastructure in California. Boeing air taxi subsidiary Wisk Aero, eVTOL jet manufacturer Lilium, and eVTOL developer Overair are among firms with similar ambitions.

The companies hope to showcase their aircraft on the world stage when the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles arrive— an ambitious target but one that is in line with the FAA’s own expectations for the industry. The city will also host men’s soccer games during the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly held in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

“Establishing our LA network ahead of the global events that are coming to the region over the next three years is a milestone that will put Midnight on display for the whole world to see,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO of Archer. “LA is known for its horrendous traffic—our goal is to offer a safer, faster, and more sustainable alternative travel option.”

A handful of eVTOL manufacturers, including Germany’s Volocopter and China’s AutoFlight, are supposed to demonstrate their air taxis at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, but those flights have yet to take place and may not happen at all.

Aiding Archer, however, is a tight relationship with the FAA and the backing of California state officials such as Governor Gavin Newsom.

“Homegrown companies like Archer Aviation are pioneering the next generation of zero-emission transportation that will help California cut pollution, clean our air, and reduce traffic,” said Newsom.

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NASA officials on Wednesday held a media briefing, during which stakeholders revealed that confidence in Starliner’s ability to return the astronauts is waning. According to Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the agency’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, teams are “getting more serious about evaluating our other options.”

The primary alternative, officials said, is to fly SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-9 mission with two astronauts rather than four, leaving room for Wilmore and Williams to hitch a ride when that mission concludes in February. They estimated that NASA will make a decision by mid-August.

“We could take either path,” Bowersox said.

Boeing and SpaceX representatives were not present on the call, the intention of which, NASA said, was to provide the agency’s perspective on the mission.

On its way up to the ISS, Starliner suffered two main issues that are giving crews pause over how to return the astronauts. A set of helium leaks that emerged on the spacecraft have since stabilized, according to NASA. However, the other issue, which involves five faulty reaction control system (RCS) thrusters on Starliner’s expendable service module, is still being evaluated.

Officials on Wednesday said ground testing of an identical thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico revealed that the problem is linked to a tiny Teflon seal on an oxidizer poppet, which controls the flow of propellant into the thruster. Teams theorize that the extreme heat the thrusters experienced during Starliner’s rendezvous with the ISS caused the Teflon to expand, inhibiting flow and causing them to fire at weaker-than-expected levels.

According to Steve Stich, who manages NASA’s Commercial Crew program, a July 27 Starliner hot fire test showed that the affected thrusters—with the exception of one, which has been deactivated—are now firing as expected. This has led engineers to hypothesize that the teflon seals contracted and are no longer blocking propellant from reaching the thrusters. Now, the task is to understand how and why.

Teams are working to better understand how those seals might behave during Starliner’s return trip, but there is not yet consensus on whether they are good to go. According to Bowersox and Stich, there is internal disagreement about returning the astronauts on Starliner versus Dragon, which was amplified with the discovery of the faulty teflon seal.

“We heard enough voices [on the program control board] that the decision is not clear,” said Bowersox.

The officials explained that Boeing, which on Friday asserted it has high confidence in Starliner, is viewing risk based on previous missions and flight performance, while NASA wants to understand the root cause of the issue before it has confidence in returning with crew. Ultimately, NASA administrator Bill Nelson will have the final say.

“Reasonable people could have different views on which path we should take,” said Bowersox, who acknowledged that the chance of an uncrewed return has risen in recent weeks. “I don’t think anyone has taken a view that you could prove is wrong or right.”

NASA will have until mid-August to decide whether the Dragon contingency plan should be put into action.

The ISS has two docking modules that are occupied by Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew-8 capsule, meaning Starliner would need to autonomously undock before Crew-9 launches on September 24. Crew-8 would then depart the space station with the crew of NASA’s Expedition 71, and the Crew-9 Dragon would take its place, leaving one docking port open for the next SpaceX cargo mission. Wilmore and Williams would stay for the duration of Crew-9, flying home with the two-person Expedition 72 crew in February.

The problem, though, is that Starliner’s flight software is not currently capable of an autonomous undocking despite having achieved the feat during an uncrewed mission in 2022.

For the CFT, the software was configured for a crewed undocking, as per the mission profile. Now, Boeing and NASA must modify the mission data load to reconfigure the system for an uncrewed undocking, which sources say could take up to one month. NASA said the spacecraft has built-in fault tolerance that would prevent it from colliding with the ISS should its thrusters not perform as expected during that maneuver.

The agency said it has been in daily communication with Wilmore and Williams and that the astronauts are prepared for whatever path it ultimately takes. If they stay along with Crew-9, they will assist personnel with scientific research, including spacewalks. Additional materials, such as spacesuits, would be sent up with the Dragon.

“Butch and Suni are ready to support whatever we need to do,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s ISS program.

Officials insist that despite the internal conflict around Starliner, the vehicle could still be used to return the astronauts in the case of a contingency on the ISS. In those scenarios, Bowersox said, NASA is willing to tolerate a higher level of risk—one that is jeopardizing teams’ ability to complete the CFT as intended.

The worst-case scenario, according to NASA, would be if the helium leak and thruster issues converge during Starliner’s deorbit burn, the maneuver that will place it back in Earth’s atmosphere. An unlikely combination of technical failures could impact the ability of the RCS thrusters to maintain the capsule’s orbital trajectory, though agency research predicts that it could complete the maneuver even with multiple failures.

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The company on Wednesday said the agency granted it a letter of authorization (LOA) to start dual seat pilot training of “manufacturer and FAA personnel,” such as the aviation safety inspector who will ultimately help certify the aircraft for commercial service.

Trainees will ride along with one of Beta’s eight powered lift test pilots, as outlined in the FAA’s powered lift pilot training proposal, which requires eVTOL training aircraft to have dual controls. The FAA reviewed the ground, simulation, and flight training procedures used to train that group before issuing the LOA.

In addition to the A250, Beta is developing an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) model called the CX300. That design has already been flown by pilots from the FAA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and companies such as UPS and Bristow Group.

The company’s eVTOL, meanwhile, is one of a handful of designs to complete a crewed transition from hover to cruise flight, but testing has largely been concentrated around its headquarters in Vermont.

Beta tells FLYING that the aircraft is configured with dual controls by default. But if the operator plans to operate a single-seat, the company will sell them a single-seat model with provisions for dual controls. The cockpit can be fitted with dual controls in about 20 minutes, according to the firm.

There is no limit on the number of pilots Beta can train under the approval. Though the FAA has yet to sign off on the firm’s use of a simulator to train pilots, the company says it is developing a simulator that will meet FAA requirements for a qualified training device.

The manufacturer expects to obtain FAA certification for its eCTOL model in 2025, followed by authorization for the A250 in 2026. It is in the process of building out a nationwide network of electric aircraft chargers for both aircraft to use, including at FBO terminals.

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NASA and Boeing are in the midst of the inaugural crew flight test (CFT) of Starliner, a semireusable vessel to the ISS under contract for agency service missions as soon as next year. But en route to the orbital laboratory, the spacecraft suffered several anomalies that have led teams to keep it on the ISS for further testing.

A preflight readiness review, during which crews would make a determination on Starliner’s return date, was expected last month but has since been pushed back, with no updates provided since last week.

NASA and Boeing last held a meeting to discuss Starliner’s issues with the media on July 25 and have insisted that the Boeing capsule will return the astronauts to Earth. However, as first reported by Ars Technica and confirmed by FLYING, it appears the space agency is considering enlisting SpaceX’s Dragon.

“NASA is evaluating all options for the return of agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station as safely as possible,” a NASA spokesperson told FLYING. “No decisions have been made and the agency will continue to provide updates on its planning.”

The statement is a marked shift from the agency’s tone thus far, which has been adamant about Starliner safely returning Wilmore and Williams.

While SpaceX’s Dragon is not mentioned by name, it is the only vehicle in NASA’s ISS Commercial Crew rotation program. Steve Stich, who manages the Commercial Crew program, previously said that there were no discussions between the agency and SpaceX about using Dragon as an alternative. However, NASA in July issued a task award for SpaceX to study flying Dragon with six passengers, rather than the typical four.

In theory, the spacecraft could accommodate the four-person crew of SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-9 mission in addition to Wilmore and Williams. NASA is reportedly also considering flying Crew-9 with two crewmembers, leaving room for the two astronauts on the ISS.

The problem, though, is that Crew-9 on Tuesday was delayed from August 18 to September 24 to give Starliner teams more time to finalize a return plan.

Multiple independent sources also told Ars Technica that Starliner’s onboard flight software is not currently capable of completing an automated undocking from the ISS—despite the capsule completing that maneuver during an uncrewed flight test in 2022—and could take nearly a month to be updated.

If the report is accurate, the software issue would compound Starliner’s existing problems, the most consequential being a set of misfiring thrusters.

Five reaction control system (RCS) thrusters on the spacecraft’s service module fired at lower levels than expected during the trip to the orbital laboratory. The thrusters have been tested on orbit and are now operating at or near expected levels, according to NASA.

But the agency continues to wrap up ground testing at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, where an identical thruster is being evaluated. It appears crews do not yet have full confidence in the thrusters’ performance, as evidenced by the delay to the flight readiness review.

NASA continues to tout safety as its highest priority for the CFT, but there are certainly some politics at play.

On July 25, Stich said NASA would like to see Starliner return Wilmore and Williams during the CFT, implying that another crewed test could be required for certification if it doesn’t. The CFT is intended to be the final test flight, but Stich previously acknowledged that certification could take longer than originally expected.

Boeing last week released a statement appearing to publicly pressure NASA, reiterating its confidence in the vessel as evidenced by the extensive testing that has been performed since it docked at the ISS.

Already, Starliner’s inaugural service mission has been delayed from February to August 2025, adding to the almost decade of setbacks the program has suffered. Adding to the headache, Boeing has reportedly spent $1.6B on Starliner so far.

The manufacturer has plenty of incentive to push for Wilmore and Williams’ return on the spacecraft. But at the same time, a failed mission would likely torpedo the program, leaving stakeholders with a difficult decision.

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