Wash, Oct 13 (UNI) The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted SpaceX approval to launch its fifth flight test of the Starship Super Heavy booster on Sunday, an FAA spokesperson said in a statement to Sputnik on Saturday.
This test flight will be notable because it will be the company’s first ever attempt to catch Starship’s first-stage booster rocket on its return to the launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas. The launch tower has retractable arms that will be used to catch the rocket as it descends on the launch pad.
“The FAA has issued a license modification authorising SpaceX to launch multiple missions of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle on the Flight 5 mission profile,” the FAA said.
“The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight. The Flight 5 mission profile involves launch of the combined Starship/Super Heavy vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas, a return to the launch site of the Super Heavy booster rocket for a catch attempt by the launch tower, and a water landing of the Starship vehicle in the Indian Ocean west of Australia,” it added.
The company previously noted that the catch attempt would only be possible if conditions were right. If SpaceX aborts the catch attempt at the launch tower, the Super Heavy booster will simulate a landing attempt in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX aims to launch the rocket at 8 a.m. Eastern Time (12:00GMT) on Sunday.
The FAA said that no mishap investigations will be required if the fifth test flight results in the Starship vehicle experiencing failure of the thermal shield during high-heating; the flap system is unable to provide sufficient control under high dynamic pressure; and the failure of the Raptor engine system during the landing Starship burn.
The spokesperson noted that SpaceX must notify the FAA ahead of the launch if it plans to conduct an uncontrolled reentry of the Starship vehicle so that it knows whether the loss of a Starship vehicle was intentional and would not require a mishap investigation.
There are no test induced damage exceptions for the Super Heavy booster rocket, the FAA said.
The Starship Super Heavy booster is also approved for flights tests that fall under the Flight 6 mission profile, but any changes to the scope of operations for these tests will require further federal regulatory evaluation, the spokesperson added.
