Elon Musk's SpaceX Sets Sights On Mid-November For Starship's Second Flight Test

Elon Musk‘s rocket manufacturing company SpaceX on Friday provided a fresh new timeline for the second flight of its Starship.

What Happened: The second flight test of Starship could launch as soon as mid-November if regulatory approval is received, SpaceX wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. However, the timeline is susceptible to change, it added.

“As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates,” the company said on its website.

According to the company’s approximate flight test timeline, this time, the flight test would conclude in an ‘exciting landing.’

SpaceX conducted the first test launch of Starship on April 20. The rocket exploded in less than four minutes after take-off.

Why It Matters: Starship, composed of the super heavy rocket and the starship spacecraft, aims to create a fully reusable transportation system for crew and cargo missions to Earth’s orbit, the Moon, and Mars. 

The company is now awaiting a green light from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a second flight test. On Sept. 5, Musk said that the Starship is ready to launch again. Two months later, it is still awaiting launch approval.

However, last week, the FAA announced the completion of the Starship license safety review. The agency is now working on the environment review portion of the license evaluation.

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