FAA Amends Launch License
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced an updated launch license for Starship IFT-7. This update could mean that a launch attempt is on the horizon.
Kevin Coleman, FAA associate administrator, reports that the FAA is attempting to be more efficient when it comes to certifying and approving launch licenses. Coleman said “this license modification that we are issuing is well ahead of the Starship Flight 7 launch date and is another example of the FAA’s commitment to enable safe space transportation” in the FAA’s statement regarding launch approval.
SpaceX has long been complaining about the slow rate of FAA launch approvals, with CEO Elon Musk even calling their administrator out on X to resign. The launch license for IFT-6 was already approved under IFTt-5, so no additional license was required. In past Starship launches, the FAA often approved the launch just 24 hours before clearing the tower.
Flight Profile
SpaceX has yet to announce a formal flight profile for IFT-7. It is assumed that it will be similar to the last two flight attempts. The most recent launch license supports a return to launch site catch attempt of the booster, should criteria be met.
SpaceX decided to forgo a catch attempt during flight 6 after damage was done to the launch tower communications during launch.
Launch Timeframe
After the excitement of IFT-6, most are wondering when the next Starship launch will be. As of now, no official date has been confirmed by SpaceX. Testing is well underway in Texas for the next attempt, and both booster 14 and ship 33 have both completed static fire testings in the past few weeks.
FAA filings for NASA imaging aircraft near the Starship landing zones were filed with a targeted launch date of January 11th, 2025. Obviously, this date is still up in the air and SpaceX has a lot more preparations to go to prepare for flight. The aircraft is poised to focus on re-entry imaging.
Regardless of when IFT-7 leaves the pad, SpaceX is planning a massive year in Boca Chica. The company is targeting up to 24 test flights in 2025 alone from their private launch site in Texas. In coming launches, SpaceX will test refueling capabilities of the Starship vehicle while in orbit. This will involve launches in close proximity, requiring the completion of the second launch pad in Texas, which is currently under construction.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said back in September on his platform X that SpaceX plans to start launching uncrewed Starships to Mars in 2026 during the next Earth-Mars transfer window. SpaceX is targeting 2027 for human launches on Starship to Mars.
