--- title: "Photographer Spots Tiny, Annoyed Face Welded Onto SpaceX Rocket" description: "A wonderful shot by NASASpaceFlight photojournalist Nic Ansuini appears to show a chagrined face atop one of SpaceX's Starships prototypes." date: "2022-04-19" modified: "2022-04-19" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-rocket-snoot" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "rockets" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Photographer Spots Tiny, Annoyed Face Welded Onto SpaceX Rocket ![A wonderful shot by NASASpaceFlight photojournalist Nic Ansuini appears to show a chagrined face atop one of SpaceX's Starships prototypes.]() *\Image: DimaLopatin/Futurism\* ## Angry Birds Rocketry is, obviously, a jaw-dropping feat of human ingenuity — but at certain times, it can also be really freakin' funny. Case in point: a wonderful shot by *NASASpaceFlight* photojournalist Nic Ansuini, which appears to show a chagrined face atop one of SpaceX's Starships prototypes. https://twitter.com/NicAnsuini/status/1515510541346910213 ## FAA-Getaboutit! Ansuini told Futurism that the photo he posted shows a Starship nosecone likely to be placed atop Ship 25 or 26. The nonplussed face, he says, was likely affixed using spot welding. Referencing [SpaceX's long-running feud with the FAA](), Ansuini provided commentary for the grim-faced nosecone: "the \[FAA\] will be done soon." The simmering quarrel between the FAA and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk began back in January 2021, when the agency [scrubbed a Starship launch]() at the last minute, earning [criticism from Musk](). In the ensuing 14 months, the FAA has continued to repeatedly push back its regulatory review of SpaceX's orbital launches. We've since learned that [SpaceX didn't heed FAA warnings]() that its license could be revoked if it launched without government clearance — a move which ended with [a Starship literally exploding](). After yet another pushback on the timeline, the FAA's latest date for SpaceX's environmental review is now April 29 — though it remains to be seen whether it'll actually happen at that time, given the historical tensions between the agency and the spaceflight company. Until then, SpaceX fans will be waiting impatiently with the same look on their faces as the snoot of this Starship nosecone. **More space noses:** *[Man Boops Snoot of NASA Space Shuttle]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()