--- title: "FAA Throws Cold Water on SpaceX’s Next Starship Orbital Launch" description: "The FAA is still awaiting the report that will detail the steps SpaceX will have to implement before it can try to launch its Starship again." date: "2023-07-28" modified: "2023-07-28" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/faa-spacex-next-starship-orbital-launch-grounded" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # FAA Throws Cold Water on SpaceX’s Next Starship Orbital Launch ![The FAA is still awaiting the report that will detail the steps SpaceX will have to implement before it can try to launch its Starship again.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Still Grounded It's been three long months since SpaceX [launched]() its gigantic Starship prototype spacecraft and Super Heavy booster at its testing facilities in South Texas, resulting in a [spectacular explosion](). The launch obliterated the rocket's pad, [sending huge chunks of steel and concrete flying](), and covering the coastal region in a [layer of debris](). Shortly after the launch attempt, the Federal Aviation Administration [announced]() it was grounding the rocket until SpaceX completes additional "environmental mitigations" and ensures future mishaps don't "affect public safety." And as it turns out, we'll likely have to wait for quite a bit more time until we can watch Starship fly again: as the [*San Antonio Express-News* reports](), the FAA is still awaiting the report that'll detail the steps SpaceX needs to implement before it can try again. ## Down Like the Trajectory In other words, we have no idea when SpaceX's next orbital launch attempt will take place. An FAA spokesperson told the newspaper that "public safety and actions yet to be taken by SpaceX will dictate the timeline." That's in spite of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk [promising]() a month ago the next flight was coming in the next six to eight weeks, following a static fire test. In the meantime, SpaceX has been making changes to its launch pad with the hopes of not repeating April's damage. For instance, the company has reinforced the pad with a huge water-cooled steel plate. The company also [announced]() this week that it was transporting its Super Heavy Booster 9 prototype to the launch pad "for testing ahead of flight." "In the three months since Starship’s debut, SpaceX has made remarkable progress on the hardware and launch site," *Ars Technica*'s Eric Berger [tweeted](). But despite SpaceX's best efforts, there's no guarantee that a test flight is imminent. "Biggest challenges before the next attempt are likely regulatory," Berger added. **More on Starship:** *[SpaceX Fires Up Starship Engines Ahead of Next Orbital Test]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()