SpaceX will have to wait a little longer to find out if it can launch Starship flights from its Texas/Boca Chica facility. SpaceX’s first flight with Starship and Super Heavy booster was delayed again by the decision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Federal Aviation Administration announced that it has postponed the planned launch authorization to SpaceX until April 29. Evaluation was expected on March 28, but the latest statement from the FAA said the new Starship Super Heavy rocket had to be reviewed.
SpaceX Starship mission once again FAA hurdle
SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy booster is expected to be test flighted from Boca Chica, Texas later this year. The launch date of the space rocket, which is planned to take NASA astronauts to the Moon in a few years, has been delayed once again.
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The FAA is working with local and federal agencies to decide whether to issue a Programmed Environmental Assessment (PEA) that will allow SpaceX to conduct orbital test flights. However, the FAA said it could not issue the Starship launch license without PEA permission.
In September, the agency published the PEA draft for Starship and made it publicly available. In December, the FAA said it was targeting the end of February for the launch license, and most recently, the target date was pushed back to March 28.
But the Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement saying that the PEA permit will be issued on April 29. He also drew attention to the review process involving multiple agencies and inter-agency consultations regarding the reason for the delay.
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There is no guarantee that the FAA will grant SpaceX launch licenses for Starship and Super Heavy, even if the environmental review is complete. SpaceX has a number of security, risk and financial requirements that must be met.
Despite the delays, Musk is confident that Starship will reach space this year. Making a statement about Starship, Musk said, “I trust that we will go into orbit this year. “We’ve made a significant breakthrough in making the course of human civilization a multi-planetary species.”
What do you think about delaying the authorization to be given by the FAA to the SpaceX Starship rocket? You can share your views in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.