Why hasn’t Starship launched again?

It’s been over three months since Starship last flew a rather successful mission from South Texas. In what was a big breakthrough in the red tape, SpaceX was granted a multi-launch contract, so where are the launches?

We’ve been long-waiting what is expected to be one of the most insane launches in recent history out of Starbase, Texas, SpaceX’s Starship development facility. The launch will be Starship’s fifth fully integrated launch and feature the attempted return and catch of its Super Heavy booster.

SpaceX says that the flight hardware for Flight 5 has been ready for over a month now. Which, if you’re an avid watcher of NASASpaceflight’s coverage of Starbase, you’ll know from neither stage moving much recently. However, you’ll also notice SpaceX has been making large amounts of modifications to its launch tower.

SpaceX placed the blame for why Starship has remained on the ground on the FAA, as it believes it’s chasing “frivolous” environmental concerns.

SpaceX says there are two holds that the FAA has placed 60-day reviews with various federal agencies before it can sign off on the next launch. The first has to do with the splashdown location of the booster’s hot stage ring and the second being the launch tower’s deluge system.

Because of these environmental reviews, the FAA has stated that the launch of Starship flight 5 can be no earlier than late November.

Last month CNBC reported that SpaceX was fined for illegal wastewater discharge from its Starbase deluge system. The company has staunchly denied it did so and that it was given permission for the dump. However, SpaceX has yet to provide proof of a permit being approved by Texas authorities.

The new concern, shared in last week’s strongly worded protest to these reviews, is the hot ring splashdown location. An interim change to the booster was the addition of a hot stage adapter ring. This provides more separation between the engines and the top of the Super Heavy booster, as well as venting ports for the exhaust. This is detached before Super Heavy returns to the surface.

SpaceX claims the change is minor, but because it is different, the FAA wants a consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service. The FAA is consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the deluge system concerns.

So why can’t SpaceX use its multi-launch license it received for Flight 4? Well, that’s because that was only for that specific launch trajectory, ditching Starship’s upper stage in the Indian Ocean and the booster in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX hasn’t shared what its plans are for Starship’s upper stage, but we know for a fact they want to attempt a catch of the booster. This new trajectory requires new approval from the FAA.

So is SpaceX right in its complaint that the FAA takes too long to approve launch requests? Even the FAA agrees its space division is understaffed and if Starship can’t get launching quicker and quicker each time, NASA’s Artemis program’s timeline is even more in jeopardy.

However, this is the FAA’s job, and they’re tied to Congress for how much funding it gets to expand its space division’s team. This is not a new issue but has been a point of concern for several years now, so maybe it’s time to give your congressman and senator a call, instead of complaining on X.