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Story by TIM SULLIVAN
Citing potential safety and environmental damage concerns, the FAA is delaying issuing an updated launch license for a fifth Starship test flight from Boca Chica Beach.
The FAA says it’s delaying the Flight 5 license because SpaceX filed an application without disclosing the company had violated federal and state law. SpaceX had been cited by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality over the company’s launchpad water deluge system.
SpaceX was found to not have applied for a pollutant discharge permit before discharging wastewater into wildlife wetlands surrounding the launch site. SpaceX has said it rejects any claims that it has violated any laws.
SpaceX had hoped to get the updated launch license by the end of this month. The FAA says one won’t be issued until late November. The last Starship test flight was June 6th.
