Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX has received approval for the second launch of its groundbreaking Starship rocket, ending an almost seven-month hiatus.
The US Federal Aviation Administration reinstated SpaceX's Starship launch license, the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
It noted that “SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.” SpaceX applied for and received authorization for one flight, the agency added.
SpaceX said in a post on X said that it was targeting a flight test on Saturday from its site in Boca Chica, Texas.
The FAA has given license authorization for the second launch of the @SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.https://t.co/gmSbhHGohv
November 15, 2023SpaceX Starship Launch: Date And Time
The second flight test of a fully integrated Starship is set to launch on Saturday, November 18. A two-hour launch window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT (6:30 pm IST).
SpaceX Starship Launch Live Streaming
SpaceX said that a live webcast of the flight test will begin about 35 minutes before liftoff, which viewers can watch on its official website and X.
"As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates," SpaceX said.
We need to replace a grid fin actuator, so launch is postponed to Saturday
November 16, 2023Starship'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, SpaceX said.
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, the company added.
"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," the statement said.
About Starship
Starship is the most powerful rocket ever made. Walter Isaacson, author of the book Elon Musk's biography in a post on X said that Starship is "designed to carry 100 people to Mars."
Starship is almost 400 feet (120 meters) tall and weighs 11 million pounds (4.9 million kilograms).
A report in Bloomberg said that Starship will also be used for launching the company's next-generation Starlink satellites meant to increase capacity of the internet-from-space initiative.
Earlier this year, Starship rocket exploded over the Gulf of Mexico three minutes into its first flight ever. SpaceX called the test launch a success, despite the fiery end result.
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