Countdown has begun for the second flight test of SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket

SpaceX’s next Starship launch may take place in October after receiving a launch license from the FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration), according to statements made by an agency official. The official’s comments came after SpaceX had nearly completed all the control elements responsible for the Starship rocket’s mid-air self-destruct during a test flight in April.

Requirements met

Starship is the world’s largest rocket under development, but it is still at the beginning. Although Starship had a successful launch in its first test mission, it was destroyed in the air due to a problem shortly after launch. For the second test flight, SpaceX had to meet the 63-item list determined by the FAA. Elon Musk recently announced that 57 lessons on this list have been completed and the rest are related to subsequent flights. So from a technical standpoint, the only remaining hurdle for Starship is FAA approval.

After Starship’s April test flight, some circles began to question whether the rocket could make another test attempt in the near future. Most of these concerns stemmed from damage to the launch pad, which was an added complication that SpaceX would have to deal with even if Starship was ready.

maybe in October

But within five months, SpaceX not only returned Starship to the launch pad, but also added additional layers and a dewatering system to the launch pad. On the other hand, Starship is not considered just a rocket. Naturally, the tests do not only aim to get the rocket into orbit and land back. Many prototype systems are also being tested.

For example, SpaceX plans to attempt rocket refueling in orbit with subsequent tests. Orbital refueling is a key feature of the Starship program as it is essential to NASA’s plans to land the first humans on the Moon. Astronauts will not fly on Starship for the Artemis mission. Instead, they will board the NASA SLS rocket and then the second stage Starship in lunar orbit. To fly to the Moon, the second stage will naturally need fuel, and SpaceX will provide this through Starship, which will serve as a tanker in Earth orbit.

The orbital fuel tanker will allow Starship to carry more payload because it will complete the most challenging part of its second stage journey with less weight. This also means that Starship is significantly larger compared to other Moon landers and could help NASA establish a Moon base.

As for the next Starship orbital test flight, acting FAA Administrator Polly Trottenberg shared yesterday that the launch could happen in October: “We’re working well with them and having good discussions. “The teams are working together and I think we are optimistic for the next month.” Although there is no official statement, we understand from this statement of the FAA official that the countdown has begun.