SpaceX is gearing up to launch the Starship rocket soon as the firm prepares the Super Heavy rocket for ground testing at Boca Chica, Texas. The company conducted the first orbital test flight attempt of the world's largest rocket in April this year and stepped up the pace on the path to the next orbital test flight attempt. Before SpaceX can fly Starship again, it has to convince the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that any systems associated with the flight attempt in April are not a threat to human or environmental safety and procure a modification to its launch license to allow for a second flight.
Yet, as we wait for these updates and additional on-ground testing and milestones before a second test flight attempt, it seems like the Coast Guard has been informed to warn mariners of rocket launch activities in the region of SpaceX's launch site in Brownsville County, Texas.
Coast Guard Notice Creates Intrigue Surrounding SpaceX's Second Starship Test Flight
While SpaceX's chief Elon Musk was quick to promise a launch a couple of months after the first test flight, the firm is yet to conduct a successful test fire of the Starship Super Heavy booster. The booster's plumbing is perhaps one of the most complex engineering designs in the world, and starting the engines requires balancing numerous pumps and turbines to ensure that the fuel and propellants can flow into the engines for ignition.
SpaceX conducted the first static fire of the booster at the start of this month and recently shipped the rocket back to the launch site a while back. Only the booster was shipped, and SpaceX has not stacked the second stage Starship on top of the first stage. According to the firm's post on X (formerly known as Twitter), it will conduct pre-flight tests at the launch site in preparation for the orbital test flight.
Amidst this progress, there are few publicly available details about a potential date for the next Starship test flight. Some of the most important markers of an upcoming test are notices put by Boca Chica officials, FAA notices to pilots and placeholders by NASA for its WB-57 aircraft. So far, neither of these indicates that a test flight might take place soon; however, a fresh notice by the Coast Guard shares that SpaceX might conduct rocket launch activities in the second week of September.
The Coast Guard's notice to mariners warns them of navigational hazards from a rocket launch or debris with the full notice reading:
On approximately September 8, 2023, mariners operating offshore in waters east of Brownsville, Texas, are advised of rocket launching activities and associated hazardous areas which may impact navigation interests. Navigational hazards from rocket launching activity may include, free falling debris and/or descending vehicles or vehicle components, under various means of control. Mariners should avoid all waters within rocket flight trajectories originating from launch sites in the vicinity of Boca Chica Beach and Brownsville, Texas.
The notice is the first part of the puzzle to paint a full picture of the second test flight. While Mr. Musk has started to refrain from providing set timelines for a potential launch, his recent statements on X indicate that a launch might occur soon.
On the testing front, SpaceX might conduct more tanking or static fire tests of the Super Heavy booster and the second stage Starship to evaluate their suitability for an orbital test flight attempt. The launch itself should provide great visuals, as it will be the first time in recent history that a rocket's second stage ignites to separate from the first stage.
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