SpaceX Starship Is 'Ready to Launch' Again

The FAA pushed back on CEO Elon Musk’s assertion that the world’s most powerful rocket is ready for a second test flight after an April explosion.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, September 07, 2023 at 02:44 PM ET

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SpaceX’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster stand stacked on the launchpad ahead of April’s orbital test flight. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship remains grounded by the FAA following its April test flight explosion, which caused significant damage to the launchpad and scattered debris.
Despite Elon Musk stating Starship is "ready to launch," the FAA clarifies that its investigation is ongoing and will not authorize another flight until SpaceX implements identified corrective actions and secures license modifications.
SpaceX has made over 1,000 changes, including installing a new water deluge system on the launchpad and upgrading the rocket, but also faces an environmental lawsuit related to the initial launch's impact.
The ongoing regulatory hurdles and potential lawsuit could significantly delay Starship's next launch and impact its role in future missions, including NASA's Artemis III.

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A challenge to a cage fight could soon be in the FAA’s future if the agency doesn’t wrap up its investigation into SpaceX Starship, a prototype of which exploded minutes after its initial test launch in May.

That’s been one of CEO Elon Musk’s retorts to those who stand in the way of his goal of commercial space dominance. And at the moment, the regulator may pose the greatest threat.