SpaceX has announced that the fifth flight test of Starship could take place as early as this coming Sunday, October 13. All ship systems are in a state of readiness, as well as the infrastructure and the crew. The main obstacle to conducting a test flight remains the lack of permission from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Image source: SpaceX
In principle, the Starship ship and the Super Heavy booster were ready for a test launch in early August. Then a conflict arose between the FAA and SpaceX. More precisely, the conflict spilled over into public space. The management accused the company of an irresponsible attitude towards launches and a disregard for the environment, while SpaceX portrayed the FAA and its officials in a very unattractive light as retrogrades and almost as pests slowing down the US space program. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk went so far as to publicly call on FAA head Mike Whitaker to resign.
If Starship’s fifth test flight takes place on Sunday, or at least receives FAA approval, it will mark Musk’s victory over the system. For better or worse, the public does not delve into the details of the conflict and is unconditionally on the side of SpaceX. By the way, even with permission, the flight may not take place purely for technical reasons or due to bad weather.
The fifth test flight of Starship should be a step forward in the reusable booster and spacecraft program. The company planned to pick up the returning booster with a crane—“chopsticks”—at the farm for maintenance. This will be the first test of its kind. In case of any discrepancy, the accelerator will be taken towards the ocean and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. Everything is very shaky, SpaceX explains.
Starship will be sunk in the Indian Ocean, but it will be done gently – by restarting the ship’s engines in the atmosphere. This should prove the possibility of a soft landing of the ship. The launch window will open at 07:00 am local time, and in Moscow at this hour it will be 15:00.