FAA Grants License for Second SpaceX Starship Orbital Test Flight
FAA Grants License for Second SpaceX Starship Orbital Test Flight
Launch Window Opens at 8:00 am ET Friday
The FAA has issued a launch license to SpaceX for the second orbital test flight launch attempt. The launch window opens Friday morning at 8:00 am eastern time, 7:00 am local time in Boca Chica.
A document posted Wednesday by the FAA says that SpaceX "is authorized, subject to the provisions of 51 U.S.C. Subtitle V, chapter 509, and the orders, rules, and regulations issued under it, to conduct launches of the Starship Super Heavy vehicle.
"This license is granted subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations set forth in licensing orders A and B, and any subsequent orders or other written stipulations, issued by the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
"The Licensee shall at all times conduct its operations in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Office of Commercial Space Transportation for the activities authorized by the license."
According to SpaceX, Starship’s first flight test provided numerous lessons learned that directly contributed to several upgrades to both the vehicle and ground infrastructure to improve the probability of success on future flights. The second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system and a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines, in addition to reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements.
This rapid iterative development approach has been the basis for all of SpaceX’s major innovative advancements, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink. Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond.