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Starship is ready for its 5th test flight, SpaceX says (photos)

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Starship is ready for its 5th test flight, SpaceX says (photos)

SpaceX has vetted its newest Starship megarocket ahead of its upcoming test flight, the company says.

Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, consists of two fully reusable elements — a huge first stage called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or simply Ship. A stacked Starship has flown four times to date, but SpaceX plans to boost that tally soon.

“Flight 5 Starship and Super Heavy are ready to fly, pending regulatory approval,” the company said via X on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 8). “Additional booster catch testing and Flight 6 vehicle testing is planned while waiting for clearance to fly.”

SpaceX posted this photo of a Starship Super Heavy booster on X on Aug. 8, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX)

That regulatory approval would presumably come from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which issues licenses for launches from American soil. 

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