SpaceX to get a launch license for Starship's test flight by October end: Report

SpaceX's Starship rocket might take flight soon, but not soon enough. Reports say that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will grant the company a launch permit for Starship's second integrated flight test by the end of October. 

A fully stacked Starship is ready at the launch site at Boca Chica in Texas for its second flight, says SpaceX. Its CEO Elon Musk has also confirmed the readiness of the rocket, however, the launch might be conducted later than he anticipated.

Made on Earth by humans pic.twitter.com/ztougzbjDD

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 13, 2023

Replying to a post on YouTuber Tim Dodd, Musk said that Starship has a much higher chance of success than the first flight test. Starship launched for the first time on April 20 earlier this year but exploded after reaching an altitude of approximately 39 km in about four minutes. 

In an update last week, SpaceX said that the launch vehicle sustained fires from leaking propellant from the tail end of the Super Heavy Booster which led to the loss of communication and caused the Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) to send a self-destruct command to the rocket. The launch proved to be destructive as it ruined the launch pad and damaged the areas around it, causing environmental groups to sue the FAA for granting SpaceX a launch permit.

After the first attempt, FAA grounded the rocket and launched an investigation which was completed last week. The regulator directed SpaceX to take 63 corrective measures before it can launch the rocket again. In a post on X, Musk congratulated his team for fulfilling 57 of those requirements and said that the rest six are for future missions. 

The changes made by SpaceX include more robuts flight safety systems, redesigned launch pad with flame deflector, and addition of a vented interstage for a safe separation of the first stage booster from the second stage Starship. Despite these changes, SpaceX will still need a separate environmental approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the launch, reported Space.com.