SpaceX has reportedly received a boost for its Starship Flight 9 as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved its license modifications. However, it is not yet allowed to fly.
Starship Flight 9 remains grounded pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation of the Starship Flight 8 mishap. The other option for it to hit the skies is if the agency grants a return-to-flight determination.
The FAA also approved a series of changes to SpaceX’s existing launch license, including a significant increase in the number of annual launch authorizations and an expansion of permitted flight paths for its next-generation Starship vehicle.
FAA greenlights changes but SpaceX remains grounded
In a statement, the FAA said it had modified SpaceX’s launch license to allow the company to conduct up to 25 launches per year from its Boca Chica, Texas site, up from the previous limit of five launches.
The modification also includes approval to reuse a previously launched Super Heavy booster, marking the first time SpaceX will attempt such a feat with this particular rocket class.
Furthermore, the agency authorized changes to the flight trajectory and hazard zones for Starship’s ninth test flight. The new flight path will stretch 1,600 nautical miles eastward from Texas through the Straits of Florida, covering additional airspace over the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
FAA officials estimate that the planned closure of this airspace will impact around 175 commercial flights
Back-to-back trail of mishaps
The Starship program has had its fair share of high-profile failures. Flight 8, which was launched in early March, exploded mid-air after the rocket began spinning uncontrollably and prematurely shut down its engines.
The explosion resulted in debris falling over a wide area, which forced air traffic controllers to divert more than two dozen commercial flights and affected roughly 240 in total. In response to this, the FAA launched a formal mishap investigation, which it has yet to close.
Before Flight 8, there was also Flight 7, which was launched a month prior and also had a similar fate to its successor. The cumulative setbacks have complicated Elon Musk’s stated goal of achieving operational readiness for Mars missions by the end of this decade.
Regulatory and industry implications
SpaceX’s Starship system is a cornerstone of the company’s long-term ambitions, including transporting humans and cargo to the Moon and eventually, Mars. Standing at 403 feet tall, it is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. SpaceX intends to use it for a variety of missions.
The FAA’s license modification offers regulatory flexibility but also highlights the increasing complexity of managing commercial spaceflight activities that impact public airspace. The new hazard zones established for Flight 9 reflect lessons learned from previous flights and the necessity to minimize risks to civilian aviation.
For now, the skies remain clear of Starship, grounded not by ambition but by a growing need for accountability in one of the world’s most daring aerospace ventures.
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