SpaceX Takes Aim at FAA After Latest Starship Launch Delay

The gargantuan rocket’s fifth test flight will attempt a complex booster ‘catch’ maneuver but not for at least a few months.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 04:56 PM ET

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Starship’s fifth test flight will feature a novel booster ‘catch’ maneuver to safely return the reusable Super Heavy booster to the launch pad. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX is critical of the FAA's decision to delay the Starship Flight 5 launch license until late November, asserting the rocket has been ready since August and that regulatory paperwork is excessively slow, impeding U.S. space leadership.
The FAA attributes the delay to "four open environmental issues," including a modified hot-stage jettison splashdown location and a larger sonic boom radius, which necessitate extensive consultations with environmental agencies.
SpaceX disputes the necessity and length of these environmental reviews, alleging they are frivolous and stem from "bad-faith hysterics," thus threatening its iterative development strategy crucial for achieving full rocket reusability and supporting missions like NASA's Artemis III.

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SpaceX this week received disappointing news from the FAA that the launch license for its fifth test flight of Starship—the largest and most powerful rocket ever built—won’t be awarded until late November. And it’s not happy.

On Tuesday, as the company occasionally does when facing what it deems to be unfair treatment, SpaceX posted a lengthy update decrying the decision. According to the firm, the FAA had assured it that Starship would get the green light this month. It claims the rocket has been ready to fly since early August, an assertion CEO Elon Musk reiterated last week.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.