FAA approves Spacex launch of new rocket

Elon Musk’s Spacex received U.S. government approval to launch its next-generation Starship rocket, a key milestone in the company’s quest to send humans to the moon and eventually Mars.

The Federal Aviation Administration granted the license to the company, formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp., on Friday, allowing it to launch the rocket from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

Spacex said it plans to launch its uncrewed Starship as early as 7 a.m. local time in Texas on Monday, in line with the company’s previous guidance even before it had secured FAA approval. It will have a 150-minute launch window.

“After a comprehensive license evaluation process, the FAA determined Spacex met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements,” the agency said in an emailed statement, adding that the license is valid for five years.

The FAA said it will use a timebased procedure to clear the airspace around Boca Chica by identifying and rerouting only aircraft directly affected by the planned launch. This marks the first time it will do so for launches outside the Florida space coast, it said, adding this will allow “more aircraft to stay on their most optimal and efficient routes.”

Starship is a mammoth new rocket, designed to bring people — including NASA astronauts — to deep space. It’s also meant to serve as a relatively inexpensive platform to launch satellites and other cargo to orbit. The entire Starship system stands at 394 feet, more powerful than any previous crewed spacecraft, and taller than the Saturn V, the only rocket to take humans past Earth’s orbit. Starship is also meant to be fully reusable, which Spacex promises will reduce costs.