SpaceX Clears FAA Safety Review For Second Starship Flight – FWS Clearance Still Pending

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed the safety review of SpaceX's Starship rocket in Texas, confirmed a statement sent out by the agency to reporters today. The FAA and SpaceX have been working together for months after the latter's first Starship orbital test flight saw the rocket explode mid air after it failed to clear stage separation. The review has been further complicated by significant damage to the launch pad after the April test flight, and this portion of the Starship orbital test flight review also involves the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

SpaceX has continued to test the full Starship stack, an additional second stage and the Raptor engines as it waits for the FAA and FWS's clearance. Earlier this month, the firm conducted a full rehearsal of the highly anticipated orbital test flight attempt. It saw SpaceX fully load the first stage Super Heavy booster and second stage Starship with fuel and propellant, test the rocket's pumps and conclude the test by firing the water deluge system.

The water deluge system is designed to protect the pad from the Starship Super Heavy booster's millions of pounds of thrust at liftoff. It is a fresh addition to the launch pad, and SpaceX built the deluge system quite quickly after the first Starship test flight blew a crater into the ground and caused dust to fall on nearby towns.

This system is also one of the reasons that SpaceX has yet to try to fly the Starship to orbit. Officials from the FWS regularly visit the company's launch facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, to evaluate the system. However, while the FAA's