Federal regulators have approved SpaceX’s eighth test flight of its spacecraft system following a previous explosion during a January test. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a license change, confirming SpaceX meets all safety and environmental requirements for sub-orbital test flights. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced a rescheduled launch for Monday from their southern Texas facility.
The January incident involved the Starship spacecraft separating from its super-heavy rocket booster and ultimately caused debris to fall in the North Atlantic, with some fragments reaching shores in the Turks and Caicos Islands. While no injuries or significant property damage were reported, residents found debris, prompting meetings between local officials and SpaceX to develop a recovery plan.
The FAA has noted that debris, including heat shield tiles, poses no toxic risk to the local ecosystem. After the Flight 7 explosion, believed to be caused by a fuel leak, SpaceX implemented design changes, including a new purging system to address flammability issues. The upcoming Flight 8 aims to test objectives that were missed in the previous flight, including satellite deployment.
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