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Updated at 4:55 p.m. EST with statement from the FAA.
WASHINGTON – A test flight of SpaceX’s Starship launcher is on hold as the company awaits Federal Aviation Administration approval, a delay that has publicly aggravated the company’s chief executive.
SpaceX had planned to conduct a suborbital flight of its Starship SN9 vehicle at its test site in Boca Chica, Texas, on January 28. The vehicle would have made a flight similar to that of the SN8 vehicle on December 9, this time at altitude. 10 kilometers before landing in Boca Chica.
However, Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) closing the airspace around the test site were unexpectedly lifted around midday, even as SpaceX prepared the vehicle for flight. A source familiar with the talks between the FAA and SpaceX said the agency requested additional information about the vehicle and the flight plan before giving its final approval.
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk berated the FAA for the delay. “Unlike its aerospace division, which is good, the FAA’s space division has a fundamentally broken regulatory structure,” he tweeted. “Their rules are intended for a handful of consumable launches per year from a few government facilities. According to these rules, humanity will never reach Mars. “
The company made preparations for the launch on January 28, leaving some wondering if the company could conduct a launch without a TFR in place or other FAA approvals. It turned out to be a wet dress rehearsal, with the vehicle powered up but the countdown stopped before the engine ignited.
A second launch attempt on January 29 did not go that far. An FAA air traffic advisory earlier in the day indicated that the launch had been canceled, although the TFR remained in place. Mid-morning, however, SpaceX said it was now targeting the launch of SN9 no earlier than February 1.
Neither SpaceX nor the FAA have disclosed further details about the issue preventing FAA approval for the launch. “We will continue to work with SpaceX to resolve outstanding safety issues before approving the next test flight,” FAA spokesman Steven Kuhn told SpaceNews on January 29.
“The FAA will continue to work with SpaceX to assess additional information provided by the company as part of its launch license modification application,” the FAA said in a statement at the end of Jan. 29. “While recognizing the importance of moving quickly to foster growth and innovation in the commercial space, the FAA will not compromise its responsibility to protect public safety. We will only approve the change when we are satisfied that SpaceX has taken the necessary measures to comply with regulatory requirements. “
The conflict between the FAA and SpaceX contrasts with the FAA’s public position to work constructively with industry. This includes a streamlining of the launch and re-entry regulations that the FAA concluded last fall. These new regulations are effective 90 days after their official publication in the Federal Register on December 10.
In a Jan. 26 appearance at a space investing webinar hosted by IPO Edge, Wayne Monteith, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said he understood the industry’s desire to ‘act quickly. “As soon as this rocket is ready to go and the payload is ready, they want to go. In order not to become an obstacle to the success of American businesses, we as the primary regulator in this industry must also be prepared. “
Monteith said he was prepared to speak directly with executives at the launch company if there are regulatory issues. “CEOs and CEOs also have my direct line. They can contact me directly if our teams communicate poorly or do not communicate well with each other, ”he said. Problems that could take “weeks or months” for staff to resolve, he said, “sometimes we can solve them with just one phone call.”
“While no one likes to be regulated, it is important,” he said. “On the one hand, it protects everyone, and on the other hand, it provides this stable environment for investors.”
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