Tag: SpaceX Starship test flight

Environmental groups sue FAA over SpaceX Texas rocket launch
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Environmental groups sue FAA over SpaceX Texas rocket launch

[ad_1] Wildlife and environmental groups sued the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday over SpaceX's launch last month of its giant rocket from Texas. SpaceX's Starship soared 24 miles (39 kilometers) high before exploding over the Gulf of Mexico on April 20. The rocket's self-destruct system caused the nearly 400-foot (120-meter) rocket to blow up, as it spun out of control just minutes into the test flight. An attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs, said the groups are suing over what they consider to be the FAA's failure to fully consider the environmental impacts of the Starship program near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. They asked the court to throw out the five-year license the FAA granted to SpaceX. The FAA declined comment, noting it do...
Giant SpaceX rocket leaves crater, serious damage at Texas base
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Giant SpaceX rocket leaves crater, serious damage at Texas base

[ad_1] Flying chunks of concrete, twisted metal sheets, craters blasted deep into the ground: the thunderous power of SpaceX's first test flight of Starship -- the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built -- inflicted serious damage on its Texas launch site. Repairing the damage from Thursday's unmanned test flight is expected to take months, potentially delaying further launch attempts and slowing the development of a rocket NASA plans to use on its upcoming Moon missions. SpaceX boss Elon Musk had said before the test that just getting Starship in the air without destroying its launch pad would be "a win." Luckily for Musk, the 390-foot-tall (120-meter) rocket successfully lifted off, climbing for about four minutes until it tumbled and exploded, well over the Gulf of Mexico. But...
SpaceX Plans Starship Launch April 20 in Second Lift-Off Try
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SpaceX Plans Starship Launch April 20 in Second Lift-Off Try

[ad_1] SpaceX is aiming to launch its next-generation Starship rocket on April 20, the second attempt for the groundbreaking flight after a pressurization issue upended the company's initial test.Elon Musk's closely held company announced the new date in a tweet on Monday, hours after postponing a planned inaugural test flight for the fully assembled vehicle. Minutes before scheduled liftoff on Monday, SpaceX scrubbed the flight, citing a “pressurization issue.” Officials had said they would need at least 48 hours before trying again. Musk had flagged a “frozen” pressure valve as an issue that might delay the launch in a tweet earlier in the day. But SpaceX made no reference to the issue in a statement about the new target date for sending Starship aloft. The new launch window will open...
FAA gives OK for SpaceX Starship test flight from Texas
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FAA gives OK for SpaceX Starship test flight from Texas

[ad_1] SpaceX has cleared the final hurdle for launching its new giant Starship from Texas as early as next week on a first test flight.The Federal Aviation Administration issued the long-awaited license on Friday. SpaceX announced that Starship — the world's biggest and most powerful rocket — could soar as soon as Monday. No people or satellites will be aboard the 394-foot (120-meter) rocket. SpaceX will attempt to send the spacecraft atop the colossal booster around the world, from the southern tip of Texas all the way to Hawaii. The first stage will be discarded in the Gulf of Mexico and the spacecraft into the Pacific. No landings will be attempted for this debut. It will be the first launch attempt of a full-size Starship, made of shiny stainless steel and powered by methane-fueled...