SpaceX, on Friday, continued to prepare for the fifth test flight of its Starship launch vehicle despite rising tensions with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the federal agency responsible for greenlighting launches.
What Happened: SpaceX said on Friday that the fifth flight’s launch vehicle has been moved to the launching pad at its Starbase spaceport.
“Unfortunately, we continue to be stuck in a reality where it takes longer to do the government paperwork to license a rocket launch than it does to design and build the actual hardware,” SpaceX said.
The company said that it recently received a launch license date estimate of late November for the fifth flight from the FAA, marking a two-month delay from the previously communicated date of mid-September.
The delay, SpaceX said, was not based on a new safety concern but on “superfluous” environmental analysis including concerns about the Starbase facility having a negative impact on local flora and fauna. However, the company disputed these claims.
Why It Matters: Earlier this week, SpaceX also tested the engines of its Starship launch vehicle for its sixth flight test.
"Flight 5 is built and ready to fly. Flight 6 will be ready to fly before Flight 5 even gets approved by FAA!" SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday.
The Starship’s last test flight was conducted in June. For the upcoming flight, SpaceX’s goal is to catch Starship’s booster stage back at Starbase using the launch tower's mechanical arms, marking a significant demonstration of Starship’s reusability.
Earlier this week, the FAA also proposed a fine of $633,009 on SpaceX for allegedly failing to follow its license requirements during two launches in 2023.
SpaceX Vice President for Legal David Harris subsequently sent a letter addressed to key members of the U.S. Congress, including Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) denying the FAA's allegations of regulatory violations while also alleging that the federal agency lacks the resources to review licensing commercial spaceflight operations.
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