FAA grants SpaceX approval for Starship orbital flight test
The rocket could fly as early as Monday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration has given SpaceX final regulatory approval to conduct Starship's first orbital flight test. According to Ars Technica, the FAA on Friday afternoon issued the company a license to launch its next-generation rocket from southern Texas. "After a comprehensive licensing evaluation process, the FAA determined that SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements. ", the agency said in a statement. "The license is valid for five years."
On Friday, SpaceX announced that it would attempt to perform the long-awaited test on Monday morning, with the launch window opening at 7:00 a.m. local time. According to Ars Technica Eric Berger, the forecast for Monday's launch attempt looks ideal, with moderate winds and clear skies expected. If SpaceX cancels the test, the company has backup opportunities Tuesday and Wednesday.
Getting to this point has been a long road for SpaceX. In addition to all the technical hurdles it had to overcome, the FAA subjected the company's Boca Chica facility to a full environmental assessment. Located near the Gulf of Mexico, the launch site is surrounded by wetlands that are home to hundreds of thousands of shorebirds. Last June, the FAA gave SpaceX a list of 75 actions it needed to take to protect local wildlife around the facility. With those out of the way, the company only has to worry about the remaining technical issues affecting Starship.
The rocket could fly as early as Monday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration has given SpaceX final regulatory approval to conduct Starship's first orbital flight test. According to Ars Technica, the FAA on Friday afternoon issued the company a license to launch its next-generation rocket from southern Texas. "After a comprehensive licensing evaluation process, the FAA determined that SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements. ", the agency said in a statement. "The license is valid for five years."
On Friday, SpaceX announced that it would attempt to perform the long-awaited test on Monday morning, with the launch window opening at 7:00 a.m. local time. According to Ars Technica Eric Berger, the forecast for Monday's launch attempt looks ideal, with moderate winds and clear skies expected. If SpaceX cancels the test, the company has backup opportunities Tuesday and Wednesday.
Getting to this point has been a long road for SpaceX. In addition to all the technical hurdles it had to overcome, the FAA subjected the company's Boca Chica facility to a full environmental assessment. Located near the Gulf of Mexico, the launch site is surrounded by wetlands that are home to hundreds of thousands of shorebirds. Last June, the FAA gave SpaceX a list of 75 actions it needed to take to protect local wildlife around the facility. With those out of the way, the company only has to worry about the remaining technical issues affecting Starship.
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