FAA approves second Starship launch, but SpaceX can't launch spacecraft because of environmentalists

Elon Musk planned to sort out all the problems and send the Starship spacecraft into orbit in a few weeks. But "a few weeks" has already lasted several months, and could end up turning into almost a year.

Here's What We Know

SpaceX tried to send Starship into orbit in April 2023. However, at an altitude of about 40 kilometres, the rocket system went into an uncontrolled spin and exploded. Moreover, self-destruction occurred with a delay, minutes after initiation.

During launch, the rocket engines destroyed part of the launch pad. The company resolved all the key issues. The FAA approved a second launch of the spacecraft. But that's not enough for a second attempt.

The regulator believes Starship meets the requirement. The same goes for the measures taken by the company to ensure safety during launch, in the orbital flight processor and during landing.

However, environmentalists are now standing in the way of SpaceX's desire to send Starship into orbit. It could take up to four months to get approval. It is possible that the spacecraft will not be able to take off until the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Source: TechCrunch