Max Q: Elon says Starship is ready, FAA says not quite

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Hello and welcome back to Max Q!

In this issue:

Musk says Starship is “ready to launch,” FAA says not yet
News from SpaceX and more

The Federal Aviation Administration has closed the mishap investigation into SpaceX’s first orbital test flight in April, but regulators won’t green light a second launch until the company completes more than 60 “corrective actions.”

While the FAA did not disclose the details of the 63 actions SpaceX must take before launching Starship again, the agency did provide a list of just some of what’s expected, including vehicle hardware redesigns, redesigns to the launch pad and additional analysis and testing of safety critical systems.

Once SpaceX has implemented all of the corrective actions — and only at this point — it can apply for and receive a modified license from the FAA to launch Starship again.

Image Credits: SpaceX (opens in a new window)

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