BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The second test flight of SpaceX’s Starship has been postponed to Saturday, Elon Musk said.
“We need to replace a grid fin actuator, so launch is postponed to Saturday,” Musk said on X Thursday.
On Wednesday, the FAA gave license authorization to SpaceX for the second launch of Starship.
According to a statement from the FAA, the license applies to all phases of the operation. This includes pre-flight preparations, liftoff, the water landing of the Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico and the water landing of the Starship vehicle in the Pacific Ocean.
After consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FAA concluded there are “no significant environmental changes.”
SpaceX announced that the second flight of the fully integrated Starship could happen as early as Friday before it was pushed back to Saturday.
Cameron County Parks and Recreation issued a notice stating that hours of operation at Isla Blanca County Park will be adjusted in preparation for SpaceX activity. The park will close at 9 p.m. Friday and all visitors will be asked to leave.
“Only current RV Park Campers will be allowed to remain at the park and have access to enter the park campsite,” a news release stated.
Isla Blanca County Park will re-open Saturday at 5 a.m. The boat ramp facility will be temporarily closed on Saturday for safety reasons.
“The second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system and a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines, in addition to reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements,” SpaceX stated.
In a post on X, SpaceX said a two-hour launch window will open at 7 a.m. CT.
