SpaceX’s next-generation Starship vehicle is aboard its powerful Super Heavy rocket and is preparing for its third uncrewed test flight on March 13, 2024, from the company’s Boca Chica launch pad near Brownsville, Texas.
Joe Skipper | Reuters
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing to launch its third Starship test flight Thursday morning after federal regulators approved the attempt.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to SpaceX on Wednesday launch license The company needs to fly its latest Starship prototype.
The FAA said SpaceX “meets all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.”
SpaceX is targeting a launch between 8 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. ET on Thursday. The company plans to broadcast the event live, with a webcast starting 30 minutes before the window opens.
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The company aims to build on last year’s Starship prototype flights, the second and most recent of which arrived in space in November. The test flights had mixed results, with both rockets flying for several minutes and achieving a few milestones before eventually being destroyed due to problems.
SpaceX and the FAA investigated problems with the November launch, leading the company to make changes to the giant rocket ahead of its third attempt.
In addition, SpaceX said it aims to demonstrate new capabilities through the third Starship flight, including opening and closing the spacecraft hatch, transferring fuel during flight and splashing down in the Indian Ocean in a NASA demonstration.
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