Next SpaceX Starship launch approved - with extended danger zone

SpaceX is currently preparing the ninth test flight of its giant rocket and could launch the Starship next week. This is because the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now granted official approval for the next launch. According to the FAA, public safety is assured following the last two test flights that ended in accidents. However, the danger zone for the next test flight has been almost doubled, meaning that aircraft must keep a greater distance and are allowed to scatter any debris further.

During the eighth test flight at the beginning of March, SpaceX lost Starship in orbit, but captured the booster of the giant rocket again. Similar to the seventh test flight in January, Starship self-destructed after a fire on board. On that occasion, fuel had escaped through one or more leaks, which initially led to fires and then to the engines gradually shutting down. Shortly afterwards, communication with the giant rocket failed, and the safety system automatically activated self-destruction.

Safety requirements fulfilled, danger zone extended

This process was repeated on the eighth test flight, but SpaceX has not yet given any reasons for this abort. The FAA has also not addressed the issue, stating in an update: “The FAA conducted a comprehensive safety review of the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 accident and concluded that the company has satisfactorily resolved the causes of the accident and the Starship vehicle is therefore ready to fly again.” This means that the eighth test flight has been officially approved. The FAA also stated that it “concluded that SpaceX met all stringent safety, environmental and other license requirements”.

However, the approval for the ninth Starship launch contains less stringent requirements than before. This is because the so-called “Aircraft Hazard Area” (AHA) now extends around 1600 nautical miles (2963 kilometers) from the launch site at the Texan Starbase eastwards across the Gulf of Mexico, the strait between Florida and Cuba and across the Bahamas to the Turks and Caicos Islands southeast of the Bahamas. During the eighth test flight, the danger zone extended over only 885 nautical miles (1639 km), almost doubling this range.

Reused booster as increased risk?

The FAA justifies this expansion of the danger zone with an “updated flight safety analysis” and the fact that SpaceX will be reusing a previously used propulsion rocket for the first time. This “Super Heavy Booster” has already carried a Starship into space and, unlike the spaceship itself, returned to Earth safely, with the booster being recaptured by the tower known as “Mechazilla”.

The AHA is intended to separate regular air traffic from rocket flights, but also includes regions for any debris from failed missions. The larger danger zone affects at least 70 air routes with over 175 flights, almost all of them international, according to the FAA. Passengers should be prepared for delays of around 40 minutes on the day of the Starship launch, with waiting times of up to two hours possible.

SpaceX has not yet given a date for the next Starship test flight, but this could take place as early as next Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The aim is to test the heat shield for re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, writes Ars Technica. The previously aborted test flights did not make this possible. SpaceX also wants to test newly designed flaps on the Starship to ensure better control of the spacecraft in the atmosphere.

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