Space.com By Elizabeth Howell 6/30/2021
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell says the company is still "shooting for July" for the first orbital flight of its huge Starship Mars rocket, although she acknowledged the company may not meet that target.
Shotwell did not mention the lack of an orbital flight license from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has remained silent so far about what it thinks about the company's orbital plans. An environmental assessment of Starship launch operations is currently being performed, CNN Business reported on June 16, and it's unclear if FAA certification for the uncrewed orbital test flight will come in time to meet a July deadline.
"The FAA has not provided an update on the status of the environmental assessment, which would include publication of a draft version for public comment before a final version. It is unlikely that process could be done in time to support a launch in the near future," SpaceNews reported on Saturday (June 26).
Earlier this month, CNN Business' Jackie Wattles wrote that the reviews and approvals likely won't be done in time for an early July launch, citing a source familiar with the licensing process.
"Depending on the outcome of that [environmental] assessment, it [SpaceX] may also be required to go through a more detailed review culminating in an updated environmental impact statement. Only after that process is complete can the Federal Aviation Administration move on to licensing a possible orbital Starship launch," Wattles wrote.
More:
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-orbital-flight-possible-july-2021
