On Saturday, SpaceX received permission to launch from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On its website, the company stated that it completely redesigned the heat shield and updated parts of the software before the new test.
In June, Starship completed its test flight for the first time on its fourth attempt. Unlike the third test, the spacecraft did not disintegrate during descent through the atmosphere and landed in the Indian Ocean, albeit with a damaged wing.
Spaceship Spaceship ready for launch, image from October 12
SpaceX has designed the Starship system to be fully reusable and hopes to use it for deep space exploration.
It is the largest built system of its kind so far and also the most powerful space transport system – 33 Raptor rocket engines drive the carrier stage, while the spacecraft has six identical units. All test flights so far have been unmanned, but according to SpaceX, the vessel will be able to carry up to 100 people or a large amount of cargo and equipment in the future.
