Estimated deadline announced
The space company SpaceX said it could launch the second flight test of its Starship rocket as early as mid-November 2023. However, the company is still awaiting approval from US regulatory authorities.
SpaceX revealed the tentative launch date on its website on Friday, November 3, 2023, days after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed a safety review focused on the launch’s potential impacts on public health and property.
SpaceX is ready to send a huge 122-meter Starship rocket into orbit
The FAA’s report was part of a broader assessment needed before SpaceX can conduct another test flight. The first attempt was unsuccessful, it took place on April 20, 2023. Then the Starship upper stage failed to separate from the Super Heavy launch vehicle as planned. SpaceX sent a command to self-destruct the ship a few minutes after launch. The incredibly powerful rocket even damaged the orbital launcher at Starbase and made a large crater in the concrete.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still consulting with the FAA on the Endangered Species Act. The Environmental Protection Agency has 135 days to issue a revised opinion, but the permit will likely be issued much sooner.
