AUSTIN, Texas — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted approval for the upcoming flight of SpaceX’s Starship, despite the ongoing investigation into the previous flight failure. In a statement released on February 28, the FAA announced that it has determined SpaceX can proceed with the Flight 8 launch, which is now scheduled for as early as March 3. This approval comes while the mishap investigation into the Flight 7 mission continues.
The FAA stated, “After completing the required and comprehensive safety review, the FAA determined the SpaceX Starship vehicle can return to flight operations while the investigation into the January 16 Starship Flight 7 mishap remains open.” It is important to note that the FAA is actively overseeing the investigation led by SpaceX.
During Flight 7, critical telemetry data from the upper stage was lost approximately eight and a half minutes after liftoff. Subsequently, the vehicle disintegrated, causing debris to fall on the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, but thankfully, there were no injuries and only minor damage reported. In a statement on February 24, SpaceX provided insights into the reasons behind the mishap, blaming it on a “harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing.” This issue damaged propellant lines in the aft “attic” section of the vehicle, leading to leaks that triggered fires and caused all but one of the six Raptor engines to shut down.
Following the loss of telemetry, the vehicle activated its autonomous flight termination system about three minutes later. The FAA has not detailed what aspects of the investigation remain open. Initially, SpaceX had announced plans to launch as soon as February 28, but on February 27, the company rescheduled the launch to March 3.
In a significant development, the FAA also announced on February 28 that it has updated its launch license for the Starship mission. The latest revision, dated February 26, now includes provisions for both suborbital and orbital Starship flights, a notable change from previous versions which did not mention orbital launches. This update indicates that SpaceX is nearing the possibility of attempting orbital flights with the Starship vehicle.
The revised license outlines activities covered under an orbital mission. These include operations from liftoff to the deployment of all payloads or reaching the “first steady-state orbit” for missions without payload deployments. The license also accounts for scenarios where the vehicle returns to Earth without completing an orbit or deploying a payload.
Furthermore, the updated license introduces a new section that defines reentry activities. These activities encompass “the activities conducted in Earth orbit or outer space to determine reentry readiness” while ensuring public safety for ground residents during a landing or impact. Additionally, the license shifts the start of pre-flight operations from the installation of flight termination system ordinance to a go/no-go poll conducted before propellant loading, which occurs approximately 75 minutes prior to liftoff.
As SpaceX gears up for the upcoming Flight 8, the developments surrounding the FAA's approval and the ongoing investigation into Flight 7 highlight the complexities and challenges of advancing space travel technology.
