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FAA Approves SpaceX for More Starship Test Flights - Starting January 11

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Updated: Dec 24, 2024

Starship - Space X
Starship - Space X

SpaceX has received approval from the FAA to conduct additional test missions of its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster. The FAA issued a modified Part 450 launch license, enabling multiple flights using the configuration planned for the vehicle’s upcoming seventh test mission.

“This license modification, issued well ahead of the Starship Flight 7 launch date, demonstrates the FAA’s commitment to safe space transportation,” said Kelvin Coleman, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, in a statement on December 17.

The FAA’s pace has faced criticism from SpaceX and lawmakers, who argue that delays have hindered Starship’s testing schedule.


Upcoming Flight 7 Details

For Flight 7, Starship and Super Heavy will launch from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The mission involves Starship flying halfway around the globe to a water landing in the Indian Ocean, while Super Heavy returns to the launch site for an ambitious booster catch attempt.


The booster recovery will use SpaceX’s towering "Mechazilla" system, equipped with chopstick-like arms designed to catch and return the booster to the pad. SpaceX successfully executed this maneuver on the first attempt but aborted it during a subsequent test.


Achieving reusable launches for both Starship and Super Heavy is crucial for SpaceX’s goal of 25 annual launches. This rapid cadence is necessary to meet NASA’s requirements for the Artemis III lunar mission, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era.


Preparing for NASA’s Lunar Mission


NASA’s Artemis III mission, targeting the lunar south pole, will use a Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to deliver astronauts as early as 2027. Before that milestone, SpaceX must demonstrate key capabilities, including a successful test mission to the Moon.


Flight 7, planned for January 11 according to documents shared by NASA, will test additional systems. NASA has requested to collect high-resolution thermal imagery during reentry using a specially equipped Gulfstream V aircraft. For this observation, SpaceX must conduct a dark reentry, turning off all spacecraft lights and landing at night.


Expanded Testing Flexibility


The FAA has also added new exceptions for test-induced failures, allowing SpaceX to avoid mishap investigations in certain scenarios. These include failures of the Raptor engines during an in-space burn and Super Heavy’s systems during the booster catch attempt.


Previous exceptions covered failures of Starship’s thermal shield during high heating, its flap system during high pressure, and Raptor engines during the spacecraft’s landing burn. These measures aim to streamline testing while balancing safety oversight.


Despite facing FAA investigations and temporary grounding after Starship’s first three flights, SpaceX has avoided major mishaps in recent launches, paving the way for further progress.


Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Flying.

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