Elon Musk’s SpaceX is on the brink of launching its eighth flight test of the ambitious Starship rocket from Boca Chica, Texas. This highly anticipated event may take place as early as this Friday, contingent upon receiving the necessary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Exciting Developments for Starship Flight 8

In a recent post on X, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed, “Starship Flight 8 flies Friday.” This upcoming launch is particularly noteworthy as it will feature a planned payload deployment and numerous experiments focused on re-entry, including a novel approach to returning the upper stage booster for a catch at the launch site.

The mission will also include an attempt to return and catch the Super Heavy booster, which provides the initial thrust needed to propel the Starship from the launchpad.

Payload and Experimental Focus

During this flight test, Starship will deploy four Starlink simulators that mimic the size and characteristics of the next-generation Starlink satellites. These simulators will be released into the same sub-orbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to disintegrate upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

In addition, SpaceX plans to relight one of the Raptor engines while Starship is in space, which will add to the complexity and excitement of this mission.

Recent Flight History and Challenges

The launch window for this event is set to open at 6:30 p.m. ET. This test comes after the seventh flight in which Starship faced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” approximately 12 minutes into the flight. While the Super Heavy booster successfully maneuvered back to the launch catch tower at Starbase, the Starship itself did not achieve the same level of success.

In a statement following the previous launch, SpaceX remarked, “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand the root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”

Ongoing Investigations and Regulatory Hurdles

As of now, SpaceX is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the previous flight’s failure, although the investigation remains open. For Starship Flight 8 to proceed, the FAA must grant approval, which can involve a variety of conditions.

In 2023, the FAA issued a five-year license allowing SpaceX to conduct launches from Texas. Each launch is subject to review, and the FAA may require modifications to the rocket’s trajectory or other mission specifics before granting the green light. Moreover, the investigation into the mishap from Starship Flight 7 must be concluded, and the FAA needs to assess whether public safety was jeopardized.

As of the latest updates, the investigation into the previous flight has not been completed, and FAA approval remains pending. However, it is not unusual for the FAA to issue approval shortly before a launch.

SpaceX has not publicly commented on the current status of the launch preparation or the ongoing FAA discussions.