After a brief stagnation, SpaceX accelerated the pace of rocket testing in Boca Chica, Texas, and a series of developments indicated that the second "Starship" test flight has begun again. SpaceX's first test flight forced the company to redesign the launch pad with a new fire suppression system, and this system was the main reason for the delay in the second test flight as the company and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waited for the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to complete an evaluation of the redesigned launch pad.
While we wait, though, SpaceX appears to have set a date for its second Starship test flight, as FWS officials will visit the Boca Chica test site and SpaceX will test the Starship final stage while stacking, unstacking, and then stacking the giant rocket back together.
Coast Guard warns mariners of rocket launches near Boca Chica Beach in November
The first piece of information that may hint at SpaceX's plans for a second Starship test flight comes from a Coast Guard notice to mariners. While the notice does not mention SpaceX directly, it covers rocket launches in the Gulf of Mexico. While this in itself is not a guaranteed indicator of the next Starship test flight, the notice goes on to specifically mention Boca Chica Beach as it warns mariners that "planned rocket launch activities and associated hazard areas" may cause navigation issues, which may include "free-falling debris and/or aircraft or aircraft parts descending under various means of control."
As a result, the Coast Guard advises navigators to avoid sailing in these areas on November 1, which could be the day SpaceX tests its Starship rocket if its water sprinkler system is approved by the federal water agency.
After a Senate hearing in which SpaceX and other space companies complained to senators about the FAA's lack of staff to handle permitting operations, SpaceX specifically outlined how its Falcon and Starship projects often become each other's opportunity costs when it comes to approvals. After that, officials from the federal agency visited the Boca Chica launch site yesterday in what we can only assume was part of their approval process for the SpaceX launch site.
While FWS has not revealed an update on its timeline, SpaceX appears eager to move forward. The company has been busy testing the second stage of Starship in Texas, and after what appeared to be a burn test yesterday, SpaceX tested the same rocket again today. The test was a single-engine static fire, and SpaceX shared on its
It turns out that Starship's second stage was the point of failure during a Starship test flight in April, though it was through no fault of Starship's own. This is because the second-stage engine fails to separate from the first-stage engine and cannot ignite at all. Additionally, because the second-stage engine plays a critical role in NASA's Artemis program, it is important to the viability of the Starship program.
NASA designated SpaceX to build a lunar lander for its lunar landing program, and Starship's second-stage rocket is the largest lunar lander program submitted to NASA and the largest rocket of its kind ever attempted to land on the moon. As part of the landing, the rocket must ignite its engines to slow down, so today's static fire test also appears to be an effort to demonstrate launch capability to NASA. Additionally, unlike Falcon 9's second stage, Starship's second stage is fully reusable, so SpaceX also has to land it on Earth.