The second test flight of Starship could happen sooner rather than later, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claiming that dozens of FAA-requested corrective actions have already been implemented.
Musk announced on September 10 via X, formerly Twitter, that SpaceX has “completed & documented the 57 items required by the FAA for Flight 2 of Starship.” The proclamation arrived just two days after a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration instructing SpaceX to address 63 corrective actions before being granted a launch license for the next Starship flight.
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1700789411279966339
That SpaceX was so quickly able to remedy these items is hardly a surprise given that the company participated in the investigation and helped to devise the mitigation plan (with the FAA, NASA, and the National Transportation Safety Board also taking part and overseeing the investigation), and given SpaceX’s desire to get Starship flying as soon as possible.
Of the 63 items, Musk clarified that six pertain to subsequent flights of the in-development megarocket (we’ll have to wait and see if the FAA agrees; some of these items relate to the reliability of Raptor engines, including improved designs to the oxygen valve and hot manifold). While Musk has publicly announced this progress on social media, the final assessment of the addressed tasks rests with the FAA. Indeed, while the 400-foot-tall (122-meter-tall) rocket, recently assembled, stands poised for its second flight, it still awaits the FAA’s go-ahead. The federal regulator emphasized that completing the investigation doesn’t guarantee immediate approval for subsequent launches from Boca Chica, Texas.
Starship’s inaugural launch on April 20, during which the rocket flew for roughly four minutes before tumbling and exploding over the Gulf of Mexico, endured several setbacks, including significant damage to the launch mount, widespread debris, disruptions to the local wildlife, the inability of its two stages to separate as planned, and a malfunctioning self-destruct sequence. While Musk’s aerospace company characterized the demo as a success owing to the vital data gathered on the rocket’s performance, both SpaceX and the FAA highlighted the need for multiple corrective actions.
To that end, the aerospace company undertook a series of modifications, including a redesign of vehicle hardware to prevent leaks and fires. The launch pad received notable upgrades, like steel reinforcements and a new water deluge system to withstand the force from Starship’s 33 Raptor engines. These enhancements, coupled with other corrective measures, will presumably undergo further scrutiny by the FAA.
Musk’s tweet on September 10 further elucidated the corrective actions he claims have been completed. Some of the items listed included the addition of over 90 cameras to detect booster leakage, better tank sensing, stronger booster bolts, backup wires, added insulation, more methane sensors, increased scrutiny on leak checks, flight safety system design improvements, and a change to the Raptor engine shutdown logic, among others. More intricate specifics of the mishap investigation report remained confidential due to the presence of proprietary data and U.S. export control regulations (i.e. to prevent U.S. adversaries from gaining access to this sensitive technical info).
The goals of the second Starship flight will repeat those of the first, with SpaceX aiming to send the vehicle’s upper stage on a partial orbit around Earth, and a subsequent splashdown near Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX’s Starship is designed as a fully reusable spacecraft intended for a wide range of missions, from deploying satellites, shipping cargo, and landing on the Moon and Mars. The company is currently working under multiple NASA contracts, requiring SpaceX to demonstrate Starship as a feasible human landing system for the space agency’s upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon.
Want to know more about Elon Musk’s space venture? Check out our full coverage of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket and the SpaceX Starlink internet satellite megaconstellation. And for more spaceflight in your life, follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and bookmark Gizmodo’s dedicated Spaceflight page.
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