SpaceX Starship gets clearance for its 7th flight

SpaceX’s giant rocket will be able to take off. The green light was granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the government agency that regulates aviation in the United States. The launch authorization was issued on December 17, 2024, informs the Space media. Apparently, the tests carried out on the Starship have convinced the FAA that the rocket is finally ready for its 7th flight.

According to a previous FAA document, the firing window for the 7th Starship flight would be scheduled for Saturday, January 11, 2025. The launch will take place from SpaceX Starbase, located in Texas. Usually, such takeoffs are accompanied by announcements of road closures in the surrounding area, but nothing of the sort for the moment, according to information from Space. This will probably not take long as the flight approaches.

The stages of the 7th flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket

The FAA document authorizing the flight would also provide details on the planned stages, our colleagues add. On the program: the takeoff of the Starship from the SpaceX base in Texas, an attempt to catch up with the Super Heavy (the first stage of the rocket) by the Mechazilla launch tower, as well as the landing of the upper part of the Starship in the Indian Ocean.

This sequence could seem already acquired for SpaceX, as we are used to seeing the company’s launchers take off in a thunderous manner, with very rare difficulties. However, the sixth flight of the Starship had experienced a failure: the attempt to capture the first stage had not worked – whereas this spectacular maneuver had been able to be carried out during the 5th flight of the Starship.

Since then, SpaceX has decided to upgrade to a next-generation Starship for the 7th flight. Full-scale tests were carried out on the rocket to prepare it for its next flight. SpaceX’s goal is to intensify its launch campaigns next year, with up to 24 test flights planned in 2025.