SpaceX gets the go-ahead for the 2nd launch of its Starship rocket; Liftoff set for November 17

SpaceX’s ambitious project Starship may not have fared well in its first test flight, but there is reason for hope, as the rocket has received clearance from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The directive was given yesterday, November 15, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX will now conduct its 2nd test launch to see whether the issues from the first test flight have been resolved or not. According to the company, it has scheduled the launch tomorrow, November 17, in a small two-hour window.

For the unaware, the Starship rocket, alongside the Super Heavy vehicle is SpaceX’s next-generation space transportation system that has a long-term vision of carrying humans to Mars. These are, however, early days and the company is trying to figure out how to carry out an efficient launch sequence. The 2nd test launch is expected to give the company a big boost in testing it out.

SpaceX gets cleared to conduct 2nd launch of Starship rocket

In an emailed statement the agency officials wrote, “The FAA has given license authorization for the second launch of the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements”.

In a post on X, the official account of SpaceX confirmed the same and said, “Targeting Friday, November 17 for Starship’s second flight test. A two-hour launch window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT”. This means the launch will take place at 6:30 PM IST. You can watch the live stream of the event on all social media platforms wherever SpaceX has an official account, as well as their website.

During the first test launch on April 20, the Starship rocket suffered multiple points of failure. These include the failure of its two stages to separate which led to the intentional destruction of the Super Heavy vehicle over the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, the liftoff caused damage to the Starbase, creating a crater beneath the orbital launch mount and scattering concrete and debris in the surrounding area.

According to a report by Space.com, SpaceX has installed a water-deluge system underneath the orbital launch mount to prevent the impact of excessive heat on the launch pad. A reinforced steel plate has also been added.