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The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday licensed SpaceX to launch its giant Starship vehicle, paving the way for a maiden flight that could take place as early as Monday.
The flight is a test of the fully reusable rocket and spacecraft chosen by NASA to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface. It would be the most powerful rocket in the world if the test is successful.
“Following a comprehensive license evaluation process, the FAA has determined that SpaceX meets all safety, environmental, regulatory, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibilities,” the FAA said in a statement. It said it “carefully analyzed the risks to public safety at each stage of the mission and required SpaceX to mitigate those risks.”
The FAA previously granted the company preliminary approval, but told SpaceX to take 75 steps to protect the environment.
In 2021, NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to develop the vehicle. The space agency plans to use it to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.
With the license granted, the nearly 400-foot-tall rocket is expected to lift off from SpaceX’s facility in south Texas near the Gulf of Mexico within days. The spacecraft is scheduled to fly across the Florida Straits between Florida and Cuba, orbiting much of the world before touching down off the coast of Hawaii. The booster is scheduled to fall into the Gulf of Mexico.
Both are not expected to return to Earth for a soft landing.
Elon Musk, CEO and founder of SpaceX, said he expects about a 50 percent chance of success.
“In a test like this, success will be measured by how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the likelihood of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances Starship development,” SpaceX said.