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 is awaiting FAA license approval for its second test flight, with Elon Musk declaring it "ready," but the FAA insists its investigation into the April 2023 explosion is still open.
The FAA requires SpaceX to implement identified corrective actions and meet regulatory compliance before authorizing another launch, following the previous test which resulted in a damaged launchpad and scattered debris.
SpaceX has made over 1,000 modifications, including installing a water deluge system for the launchpad and implementing "hot staging" for the rocket, in preparation for the next flight.
Further complicating matters, an environmental lawsuit against the FAA and SpaceX could add significant delays, potentially impacting critical missions like NASA's Artemis III lunar program.

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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.