The aerospace company SpaceX postponed the eighth test flight of its Starship rocket to March 3. The reason for the delay was not detailed in the statement released. Initially scheduled for Friday, this new launch follows the dramatic seventh flight, during which the second stage of the spacecraft exploded and caused a rain of debris visible over wide areas of the Caribbean, forcing changes to the routes of dozens of commercial flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States requested SpaceX in January to investigate the causes of the spacecraft's destruction. The goal of Starship is to carry crew to the Moon and Mars and establish a permanent presence and colonies there, a plan supported by Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, who hopes that Starship will be part of NASA's Artemis III mission by 2027, the first in more than half a century to take a crew to the lunar surface.
However, several environmental groups have criticized the Starship launches from Boca Chica, as well as SpaceX's activity in the region. Proximity to a national park and wildlife refuge, home to endangered species, has raised concerns about the environmental impact. Environmental organizations previously requested the federal government to prohibit SpaceX rocket launches and accused federal agencies of not adequately assessing that impact.
Elon Musk has positioned himself against regulatory agencies of the Executive and leads an initiative, commissioned by Trump, to reduce federal government spending.
