On Wednesday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration granted SpaceX a “license authorization” for the third launch of the most massive rocket ever, Starship.
“The FAA has granted license authorization for the third launch of the @SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, and financial responsibility requirements,” the FAA wrote in a post on X.
The FAA has granted license authorization for the third launch of the @SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements. Learn more at https://t.co/EkZUsgWYNm. #FAASpace
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) March 13, 2024
Around 0300 ET, Elon Musk said: “Starship launch attempt in ~5 hours.”
Starship launch attempt in ~5 hours
pic.twitter.com/cEBv1EHsQf— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2024
SpaceX says that a 110-minute launch window will open at 0800 ET. Starship was stacked last week at the SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in southern Texas near Brownsville.
For this third launch, SpaceX will build on what it has learned from the previous two launches and attempt a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives, including the successful ascent burn of both stages, opening and closing Starship’s payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry of Starship. It will also fly a new trajectory, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This new flight path enables us to attempt new techniques like in-space engine burns while maximizing public safety. -SpaceX
Flight trajectory map
Watch the launch event live here:
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