SpaceX's mega-rocket Starship could launch for second time in October
SpaceX is readying Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, for its second test flight. For the mega-rocket to launch again, the company has to receive the necessary regulatory approvals for the test flight which includes getting the launch license. In the latest development reported by Reuters, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to issue that crucial launch license next month.
Starship's first test flight was not entirely successful
Starship flew for the first time ever in April. However, that test flight had several issues including the failure of the rocket's two stages to separate. SpaceX intentionally detonated the vehicle, causing it to explode over the Gulf of Mexico. The FAA then conducted an investigation into Starship's first flight and identified 63 "corrective actions" for SpaceX to make. Those corrective actions have been addressed, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk confirmed recently.
Starship is also the tallest rocket ever
Along with being the most powerful, Starship is also the tallest rocket ever built, standing about 394 feet tall. The fully stacked Starship system comprises two parts: an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship and a Super Heavy booster. On the upcoming Starship flight, SpaceX plans to send the vehicle's upper stage halfway around Earth and bring it back, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. Starship's April test flight also had similar objectives which it couldn't fulfill.
No launch has been announced for Starship's next flight
The timeline for Starship's second test flight, however, still remains uncertain. Even after SpaceX gets the FAA license, the company will need a separate environmental approval from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to proceed with the launch. There's no telling how long it will take for SpaceX to get that approval. In the long run, Musk envisions that a fully reusable Starship will help in having a presence on Mars.
