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WASHINGTON — SpaceX is a step closer to winning regulatory approval for its next Starship test flight, a critical launch after the previous two failed.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced late May 15 that it updated its launch license for Starship ahead of the vehicle’s next launch. That update incorporated an environmental approval earlier this month allowing SpaceX to perform up to 25 launches per year from its Starbase facility in south Texas, five times the previous annual limit.
The FAA noted, though, that the license update alone does not allow SpaceX to conduct its next Starship launch, known as Flight 9. “SpaceX may not launch until the FAA either closes the Starship Flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination,” the agency said in a statement. “The FAA is reviewing the mishap report SpaceX submitted on May 14.”
On Flight 8 in March, Starship suffered what SpaceX called an “energetic event” in the aft section of the Starship upper stage during its ascent, causing several Raptor engines to shut down and the vehicle to lose attitude control. The vehicle reentered over the Caribbean.
That was similar to a failure on Flight 7 in January. SpaceX said shortly before the Flight 8 launch that the upper stage suffered a “harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing,” stressing the propulsion system and creating propellant leaks that triggered fires. The FAA accepted those findings March 31.
At that time, neither the FAA nor SpaceX had disclosed details about the potential cause of the Flight 8 failure. The FAA stated then that Starship launches would not resume until either it accepted the Flight 8 mishap report or makes another determination that launches can safely resume.
SpaceX is moving ahead with preparations for Flight 9, including a long-duration static-fire test of the Starship upper stage May 13. The company said at the time that it was in “final preparations” for the launch. Airspace and maritime notices indicate a launch could take place as soon as May 22, pending FAA approval.
“Just before the Starship flight next week, I will give a company talk explaining the Mars game plan in Starbase, Texas,” Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, posted on social media May 13, adding that the talk will also be streamed online.
After the two previous Starship failures, some in the Caribbean sought changes to the Starship trajectory to avoid airspace closures and other disruptions caused by falling debris. ProPublica reported May 15 that Stephen Doughty, the United Kingdom government minister responsible for overseas territories like the Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean, contacted the U.S. State Department seeking changes to the Starship flight profile and timing to minimize risks to the islands.
The FAA published May 15 an environmental assessment for updated airspace closures for the Flight 9 launch. The aircraft hazard area, or AHA, now extends to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. “The Starship vehicle mishaps from Flights 7 and 8 caused a greater probability of failure of the vehicle and, therefore, a larger AHA,” the document states.
The document states that more than 175 flights would be affected by the airspace closures, many of which would be delayed by an average of 40 minutes to avoid the hazard zone. The launch would also take place “outside peak transit periods,” with an anticipated liftoff at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. In addition, the main airport in the Turks and Caicos, Providenciales International Airport, will close during the launch window.
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