The FAA gives SpaceX approval for the Starship orbital flight test

The Federal Aviation Administration has given final regulatory approval to SpaceX to conduct the Starship’s first orbital flight test. for every Ars TechnicaThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) late Friday afternoon issued a license to the company to launch its next-generation rocket from South Texas. “After a comprehensive licensing evaluation process, the FAA determined that SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integrity, and financial liability requirements,” the agency said in a statement. The license is valid for five years.

As of Friday, SpaceX He said It will attempt the long-awaited test run on Monday morning, with the launch window opening at 7 a.m. local time. for every Ars Technica Eric BergerForecasts for Monday’s launch attempt look perfect, with moderate winds and clear skies expected. If SpaceX shuts down the test, the company has backup opportunities available on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Getting to this point has been a long road for SpaceX. In addition to all the technical hurdles it had to overcome, the FAA put the company’s Boca Chica facility through a comprehensive environmental assessment. The launch site is located near the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by the wetlands that are home to it Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds. Last June, the FAA gave SpaceX a list of 75 actions it had to complete to protect the local wildlife around the facility. With those out of the way, now all the company needs to worry about is any remaining technical issues affecting Starship.