The Federal Aviation Administration has granted SpaceX approval for the seventh launch of its Starship rocket, though the company has not revealed when the mission will take place.
Activity at SpaceX’s sprawling Boca Chica, Texas, launch site suggests preparations are in full swing. Engineers recently conducted test fires of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, though the two stages have yet to be stacked on the launch tower. The most recent test, on November 19, was attended by President-elect Donald Trump.
Under the new FAA license, SpaceX is authorized to conduct multiple missions, provided the vehicle configuration and mission profile remain unchanged. This includes another attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster during landing—a feat SpaceX accomplished for the first time in October—and a controlled water landing of the Starship upper stage in the Indian Ocean.
The FAA also approved “test-induced damage exceptions” for this license, allowing SpaceX to bypass mishap investigations for minor issues, such as a failed Raptor engine during the landing burn or damage to the thermal shield or flaps, as long as they do not endanger public safety or property.
Kelvin B. Coleman, FAA associate administrator, praised the agency’s expedited licensing process, stating, “This license modification is well ahead of the Starship Flight 7 launch date and reflects our commitment to enable safe space transportation.”
This marks the first time an FAA license for Starship has not been immediately followed by a launch date announcement. SpaceX has been vocal about frustrations with the FAA, criticizing what it calls “superfluous” regulatory delays. In a September blog post, the company described the licensing process as “repeatedly derailed by issues ranging from the frivolous to the patently absurd.”
Standing nearly 400 feet tall and capable of generating 3.3 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, Starship is the most powerful rocket ever built. It is central to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species. Musk has stated ambitions to launch an uncrewed Starship mission to Mars as early as 2026.
