FAA officially Approved Starship Flight 9 Modifications But Something Weird Happening...

There have been unpredictable turns in the space world. The FAA has released updates on the flight 8 investigation and flight 9 modifications, showing SpaceX still has work to do. Meanwhile, hardware progress has taken some unexpected twists. Will the launch stay on schedule? Axiom 4, meanwhile, faces a slight delay. And in Australia, Gilmore Space's Aerys rocket aboard it just before liftoff. Let's break it all down in today's episode of Great SpaceX. Late May is shaping up to be a crucial period for Starship. For weeks, various updates from key agencies have hinted at this time frame, and now with the latest update from Elon Musk, the picture is becoming even clearer. However, while Musk's insights are valuable, the final word still lies with the FAA and SpaceX. Until they provide definitive confirmation, the actual launch date remains uncertain. Fortunately, after a long stretch of silence, the FAA has finally issued a much anticipated update, and it's a big one. This announcement contains two major developments that could significantly shape the future of Starship, both in the near-term and the long run. The first major point is encouraging. The FAA has approved license modifications for the upcoming Flight 9 Starship mission. According to the FAA, this modification includes the green light to increase the number of Starship launches at Bokh Chica, Texas from five to as many as 25 per year. That's a massive step forward for SpaceX, not just for this mission, but for the overall Starship program. With these changes, SpaceX can now move ahead with planned innovations for Flight 9. The FAA clarified this further in the updates third paragraph. For the Starship flight 9 mission, the FAA is expanding the size of aircraft and maritime hazard areas both in the US and other countries. This is a result of the FAA requiring SpaceX to revise the flight safety analysis following the prior launch mishap and because SpaceX intends to reuse a previously launched Superheavy booster rocket for the first time. This confirms what many had been speculating. Flight 9 will mark the first time SpaceX attempts to fly a reused superheavy booster, specifically B14. This is a major milestone. Starship's long-term success hinges on full reusability, and this launch represents a pivotal step toward that goal. Looking further ahead, the approval for up to 25 launches per year signals the FAA's growing confidence in SpaceX's capabilities. Although it's unlikely that SpaceX will hit that maximum number in 2025, with nearly half the year already gone, they're clearly on a trajectory to ramp up. If three or more Starship launches occur in the remaining months, it'll set the stage for a more aggressive pace in 2026. SpaceX doesn't need to reach 25 this year. They just need to demonstrate increasing momentum and reliability. It's also worth noting that SpaceX has shown a unique ability to continue launching even during mishap investigations. Unlike many other aerospace companies, they tend to move quickly, make adjustments, and resume operations without long delays. This flexibility will be crucial as they aim to hit their ambitious flight cadence. That future will begin with flight 9, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The FAA also reminded everyone that no launch will happen until the flight 8 mishap investigation is officially closed or the agency issues a return to flight determination. In their own words, however, SpaceX may not launch until the FAA either closes the Starship flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination. The FAA is reviewing the mishap report SpaceX submitted on May 14th. Just days ago, sources had reported that SpaceX had not yet submitted its flight 8 mishap report. Thankfully, that has changed. SpaceX submitted the necessary documentation on the 14th, but that means the FAA's review is still in its early stages. Until the agency finishes evaluating the report and determines the appropriate course of action, the Flight 9 launch remains on hold. That said, there's reason to be optimistic. The FAA's turnaround time has improved significantly since late 2024, and it's entirely possible the review could be completed in a matter of days. If the investigation concludes right as SpaceX rolls Flight 9 hardware to the pad, everything could align for a timely launch. Still, the actual launch date remains hard to pin down. While we have a clearer picture than before, much depends on the FAA's timeline and final decisions. Compounding this uncertainty are fluctuations in hardware readiness and shifting schedules within SpaceX itself. In summary, late May remains a target window for the highly anticipated Flight 9 launch. But for now, everything hinges on one final step, the FAA's response. Until then, we wait. The Starship launch timeline continues to shift, and with it, expectations are once again being recalibrated. Originally planned for the 19th of May, the launch date has now been tentatively pushed to the 20th or the 21st. However, even that may not be final. The most recent FAA space operations announcement regarding the observation aircraft now lists the primary launch target as the afternoon of the 22nd, and that's local time, which would be early 23rd for observers in the Indian Ocean region. What's more, the final available launch window has been extended to June 1st. While this still falls within the time frame previously hinted at by Elon Musk, the continuous delays are beginning to raise eyebrows. For some, these incremental adjustments suggest a lack of confidence in current readiness levels, casting doubt on whether the launch will happen this month at all. Adding to the complications is the approaching US holiday, Memorial Day, which falls on the 26th of May this year. Memorial Day is a major observance, and many operations across the country pause in recognition of the holiday. For SpaceX, this likely means that if the launch doesn't take place by around the 22nd to the 25th, it'll need to be postponed until after the holiday. With such a tight window, timing has become even more critical. Meanwhile, some unusual activity is also being observed with the hardware preparations at Starbase. A recent image captured what appears to be a Raptor engine being removed from Meabay 2, where ship 35 is currently housed. This has sparked speculation. Could S35 be experiencing engine trouble? Might it require a swap out or repair? Before drawing conclusions, it's important to remember that nothing has been confirmed. First, all test data for S35 so far has been very encouraging. Second, the engine being transported could simply be an older unit that was replaced earlier and is now being moved elsewhere. And finally, there's also the possibility that the engine isn't related to S35 at all. Another ship, S36, has just completed cryogenic testing and is now undergoing engine installation. If any issues arose during that process, this Raptor could be the one being removed and replaced. As for B14, things are also somewhat unclear. Recent road closures scheduled for the 15th to the 18th of May from 10 in the evening to 2:00 in the morning and 12 midnight to 4:00 in the morning, respectively, indicate a planned movement from the pad to the factory. Currently, B14 is the only major prototype that fits this movement profile. If the transport description is accurate, it could mean B14 has encountered a problem and needs to be returned to the production site for inspection or repair. However, it's also possible that the road closure descriptions are simply mistaken. In fact, this has happened before. Previous schedules misidentified the direction of movement, such as when B14's trip was incorrectly listed as from Massie to the pad. If the current listings are reversed, the more likely scenario is that a vehicle, possibly S35, is being moved from the factory to the launchpad. If so, the May 18th window could mark a significant step toward launch readiness. With so many moving parts, including FAA approvals, road closures, hardware logistics, and scheduling conflicts, the Starship Flight 9 timeline remains fluid. While nothing is guaranteed, there's still hope that no unexpected setbacks occur, allowing SpaceX to pull off a launch before months end. So, what do you think? Will Flight 9 launch this month or even as soon as next week, just as Musk recently hinted at? Drop a yes or a no in the comments down below. And don't forget to like the video and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on SpaceX's incredible journey to space. Next, let's take a closer look at the recent delay of the Axiom 4 mission. Originally planned to launch on May 29th, the Axiom 4 mission has officially been postponed. On the 14th, NASA announced that the launch is now scheduled for the 8th of June at 911 a.m. Eastern. This new timeline gives the teams more breathing room to finalize mission details and ensure everything is ready for liftoff. In a statement, NASA explained, "The schedule adjustments provide more time to finalize mission plans, spacecraft readiness, and logistics." This delay was later confirmed by both Axiom and SpaceX. Axiom 4 marks the fourth mission in the collaborative series between NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX using the reliable Crew Dragon spacecraft. What makes this mission particularly notable is its international crew composition. Four astronauts representing four different countries. This underscores a growing emphasis on global cooperation in space exploration. Currently, the Axiom 4 crew has completed all necessary training. Meanwhile, SpaceX is focused on final preparations, including rolling out the spacecraft and performing pre-launch testing. These steps are essential to ensuring mission success and crew safety. In addition to Axiom 4, two other key SpaceX missions have also been delayed. NASA announced that Crew 11, another crude Dragon mission, will now target a late July launch. CRS32, a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, is also delayed and currently scheduled for late August. These adjustments reflect the careful coordination required between multiple missions, spacecraft readiness, and logistical factors. Shifting from the US to the Southern Hemisphere, we now turn our attention to another delay. This time from Australia's Gilmore Space Technologies and its highly anticipated AIS rocket. The Aerys rocket has captured considerable interest as it is poised to become Australia's first orbital launch vehicle. Gilmore Space has originally targeted May 15th for Aerys's debut flight. However, an unexpected issue with the rocket's payload fairing caused the mission to be postponed. On social media, the company stated, "Last night during final checks, an unexpected issue triggered the rocket's payload fairing. No fuel was loaded, no one was hurt, and early inspections show no damage to the rocket or pad. Thankfully, safety systems functioned as designed and no one was injured. The company further explained that a replacement payload fairing will be sent from their factory in the Gold Coast after a full investigation is completed. As a result, Gilmore Space is pausing this launch campaign to fully resolve the issue. They added, "We're standing down from this test campaign to investigate and fix. A new date for test flight 1 will be announced once ready." The setback was reportedly due to a problem with the ground support equipment identified during overnight checks. Gilmore Space is now in an extended hold while working through the issue. If all goes well, the next launch opportunity could be as soon as Friday morning. Gilmore Space was founded in 2015 by brothers Adam and James Gilmore. Over the past decade, they've been developing the 25 m tall Aerys rocket and building Australia's first orbital launch facility, the Bowen orbital Spaceport located on Queensland's north coast. The company's mission is to enable sovereign launch capabilities, which would mean more high-tech jobs, national security benefits, economic growth, and technological self-reliance for Australia. As Adam Gilmore noted, launching Australianowned and controlled rockets from home soil means more high-tech jobs, greater security, economic growth, and technological independence. For this debut flight, the company isn't aiming for a flawless orbital insertion. Instead, their primary goals are to achieve liftoff, survive max Q, or the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure, and if possible, reach space. The most important objective is data collection. Every second of the flight will help Gilmore Space refine the rocket's performance and reliability in future missions. Overall, despite these delays, the progress being made by both Axiom Space and Gilmore Space is commendable. These developments are not just about single launches. They represent meaningful steps forward in expanding global participation in space exploration. Let's keep watching as these ambitious missions evolve and reach toward their historic milestones. This has been Kevin with Great SpaceX. Thank you so much for tuning in. And remember, curiosity, imagination, and inspiration will always follow you as long as you keep looking up.