SpaceX's Starship launch plans under FAA review as the company seeks to land its Super Heavy booster back at its Boca Chica beach launch site.
SpaceX is apparently seeking permission from federal regulators to land its Super Heavy booster at its Boca Chica beach launch tower rather than splashing into the Gulf of Mexico during Starship ’s next flight. The change could mean CEO Elon Musk ’s early August target for the next launch will not be met as the Federal Aviation Administration reviews the revised flight plan.
Elon Musk says he’s moving SpaceX and X headquarters to Texas from California Neither the FAA nor SpaceX would describe the requested changes, but the agency said previously that if the company changes the craft’s configuration or flight profile a new license would be required. Landing the 232-foot-tall booster at its launch tower is a significant change that requires an updated safety evaluation before the license can be issued.
New flight plan, environmental issues could slow SpaceX’s next Starship flight The company has mastered landing its smaller Falcon 9 rockets both on land and on drone ships at sea but it has experienced failures and explosions along the way. The Super Heavy booster is about the same height as the Falcon 9, but its diameter of nearly 30 feet is more than twice the smaller rocket’s 12 feet. Super Heavy can carry 3,400 tons of fuel, significantly more than the Falcon 9.
With SpaceX HQ on the way, Texas Space Commission is looking to attract more space business to state During the June flight, the upper-stage Starship made it to its planned “soft landing” in the Indian Ocean for the first time. As the regulatory process is playing out, SpaceX continues to prepare for the next launch with testing of both the booster and upper-stage Starship that are next in the lineup to fly.
FAA Super Heavy Booster Texas Space Commission Elon Musk X Boca Chica Gulf Of Mexico Boca Chica Beach Texas California Brownsville South Texas Indian Ocean Starship Starbase Spacex HQ Falcon 9
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