Elon Musk’s SpaceX has secured the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license for the upcoming test flight of its groundbreaking Starship and heavy-lift rocket in Texas. The launch is scheduled for Friday, with a two-hour window opening at 7 am Central Time. SpaceX cautioned locals about potential loud noises during the rocket’s ascent.
Starship, deemed the most powerful rocket ever built, is designed for transporting up to 100 people to Mars. The announcement of approvals for the launch came from Walter Isaacson, author of Elon Musk’s biography, revealing a liftoff schedule at 8 am ET from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
This marks SpaceX’s second attempt, following the April test that ended in a mid-air explosion four minutes post-liftoff. Despite a successful takeoff, multiple engine failures during ascent and a failure to separate as planned led to the intentional destruction of the rocket. The incident prompted environmental concerns and disbelief from the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to the extent of the damage.
To greenlight the new launch license, the FAA conducted a rigorous review of SpaceX’s site upgrades, with a particular focus on the water deluge system. Environmental groups had previously sued the FAA in May, alleging hasty approval of SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility.
Starship’s significance lies in its status as the largest and most powerful rocket ever developed, crucial to Musk’s aspirations of enabling space travel to destinations like the moon and Mars. Following a mishap investigation, the FAA closed the case in September, recommending 63 corrective actions for SpaceX to prevent similar incidents in future Starship launches.
