FAA Grants Launch License for IFT-7

With a figurative snap of the fingers, the FAA granted a launch license for Starship's Flight Test 7 today, December 17, rendering at least part of yesterday's post obsolete.   

The article on Space.com concludes the headline with "But when will it fly?" and that's the big question. Nothing in the article contradicts things we've already heard about the flight, so the apparent date is still No Earlier Than (NET) January 11.  I found the self-praising tone that the FAA used to be the interesting part of this. 

"The FAA continues to increase efficiencies in our licensing determination activities to meet the needs of the commercial space transportation industry," Kelvin B. Coleman, FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, said in a statement. "This license modification that we are issuing is well ahead of the Starship Flight 7 launch date and is another example of the FAA’s commitment to enable safe space transportation."

Gee, one short paragraph, two sentences long, with two references to how they're not the problem, they're working to increase efficiencies, and this license is another example of how good they are.  Think they're a little motivated by the talk earlier this year about how they're holding back the US in space?  Such that now they're looking over their shoulders for DOGE raiders to come eliminate their jobs? 

There's a bit more talk about the Flight Test, saying they primarily are duplicating last month's IFT-6.  

During the Flight 6 test flight in November, SpaceX skipped the booster catch due to a sensor issue but successfully soft-landed its Starship vehicle in the Indian Ocean, capturing stunning video of the splashdown. The Starship Flight 7 test is expected to recreate that Ship landing in the ocean while also making another attempt at catching the Super Heavy booster.

"The Flight 7 mission profile involves launch of the combined Starship/Super Heavy vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas, a return to the launch site of the Super Heavy booster rocket for a catch attempt by the launch tower, and a water landing of the Starship vehicle in the Indian Ocean west of Australia," FAA officials wrote in the license update.

Static firing of the booster for FT7, last week on December 9.  Image credit: SpaceX