SpaceX is heading for its third flight attempt of its Starship rocket, this time aiming to successfully control the spacecraft to re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
(Photo : Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Elon Musk's aerospace company is set to launch on Thursday, 7:00 a.m. CDT, at SpaceX's launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.
Targeting Thursday, March 14 for Starship’s third flight test. A 110-minute launch window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/hFq1L4w9et
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 13, 2024
FAA OKs Third SpaceX Starship Test Flight
The Federal Aviation Agency, which handles pre-flight assessment of the Starship rockets, has given its approval, saying that SpaceX "met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements."
SpaceX is confident that valuable data will be collected from this third flight test, despite the previous two attempts ending in midflight explosions.
The two-stage rocket system is also planned to bear "a number of ambitious objectives" starting with expectations to have the third Starship fly farther than its predecessors.
SpaceX is also aiming to fire one of the spacecraft's Raptor engines while it is in space and transfer its propellant from payload to payload outside of Earth's atmosphere.
Also Read: SpaceX Starship Rocket is Clear for Second Test Flight - FAA
Safety Concerns Mount Up Amid SpaceX's Rapid Deployment
As SpaceX is fast-tracking its monumental success in space flight, regulatory bodies have already warned the company of serious safety concerns in its manufacturing process.
Just last month, the Department of Labor fined the company $3,600 per month after a work accident involving one of its employees resulted to "near amputation," Reuters reported.
The Labor Department's investigation also revealed several safety violations in its Washington facility, such as the lack of a "thorough safety program," proper communication of workplace rules, and standard actions to "correct violations."
SpaceX has been contracted by NASA to deliver the spacecraft needed to revive its manned lunar missions with the Artemis project.
NASA scheduled its first crewed flight with the Artemis II mission in September 2025, just a little over a year from now.
Related Article: Elon Musk's SpaceX Fined $3.6K Per Month for 'Near Amputation' of Employee
