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

Verified

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 portion of SpaceX Starship's launch license evaluation, a significant step toward allowing the rocket to fly again after its inaugural launch mishap.
However, the FAA is still conducting an environmental review, coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to assess the impact of launch pad upgrades, including a new water deluge system.
An ongoing lawsuit by environmental groups challenges the FAA's initial environmental assessment for Starship, which could lead to a requirement for a more extensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and further delay future launches.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.