Space
SpaceX Wins Earlier-Than-Expected Approval to Fly Fifth Starship
The Starship Flight 3 Rocket at the Starbase facility near Boca Chica beach in Brownsville, Texas, on March 13.
Photographer: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
SpaceX received approval from US air safety regulators to launch the fifth major test flight of its massive Starship rocket — a pivotal mission that will see the booster portion return from space and attempt to land upright.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses launches and reentries of rockets, granted the approval in an order on Saturday. Now with a license in hand, SpaceX is planning to fly Starship on Sunday from the company’s launch site in south Texas.