SpaceX’s Starship—the Most Powerful Rocket in History

Starship has been grounded since April after its maiden voyage ended in an explosion, but the massive spacecraft is getting closer to a second test flight.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, November 01, 2023 at 02:25 PM ET

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SpaceX’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy Booster are stacked on the company’s Boca Chica, Texas, launch pad. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has completed the safety review for SpaceX's Starship, a key step towards issuing a modified launch license following the initial flight's explosion and significant pad damage.
An environmental review, including an updated biological assessment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is now underway to evaluate Starship's impact on wildlife, particularly concerning the newly installed water deluge system.
Both SpaceX and the FAA are codefendants in a lawsuit from environmental groups, which challenges the adequacy of the initial environmental assessment and could potentially require a more extensive Environmental Impact Statement.
Despite the ongoing environmental review and legal challenges, SpaceX has stated Starship is ready to fly pending the final approval of its modified launch license.

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Since its inaugural launch, SpaceX’s Starship rocket has been grounded while the FAA conducted a mishap investigation, which finally closed in September. This week, the agency completed another key step toward issuing a modified launch license for Starship, which would return the spacecraft to action.

“The FAA completed the safety review portion of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy license evaluation on October 31,” the agency told FLYING.