SpaceX Starts Frustration Of Slow Starship Launch License

Starship is still waiting for launch license from the FAA (photo: dock. SpaceX)

JAKARTA - In the Senate Trade Commission hearing, Vice President of Reliability of SpaceX Development and Aviation Bill Gerstenmaier complained about the Starship launch license issue.

Quoting from Spacenews, Gerstenmaier seemed frustrated by the slow launch permit. They continue to wait for permission from the United States Federal Aviation Administration Agency (FAA) until the Starship flight schedule is hampered.

"Starships have been ready for test flights since a month ago, but we are still waiting for a license from the FAA and an inter-institutional review they conducted," Gerstenmaier said.

This too long licensing permit makes it difficult for them. The reason is, they don't know when this permit will be granted so Gerstenmaier says, 'I can't stay in uncertainty.'

Meanwhile, the Starship launch license is expected to be completed in late October, FAA Kelvin Coleman Association Administrator said last month.

The FAA still has to review the issue of public safety from Starship before handing over its license. Given the importance of granting this license, the FAA needs to seriously review.

However, a review from the United States Fisheries and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is also one of the long reasons for licensing Starship. The reason is, this launch will have an impact on the environment.

USFWS also has different estimated times than Coleman. According to them, this review could take up to 135 days or almost 5 months. That's certainly so long for SpaceX.

The length of licensing will have an impact on the setback of Artemis, an astronaut landing mission on the moon, as Starship will be used for the mission. What's more, Starship will be used on a core mission, namely Artemis III.

If this delay continues only due to licensing, America could lag behind China, which plans to land humans on the moon by 2030, five years longer than the Artemis III mission.