SpaceX says Starship is ready for its fifth test flight

SpaceX says it has inspected its latest giant Starship rocket ahead of its upcoming test flight.

Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, consists of two fully reusable components — a massive first stage called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or simply Ship. The stacked Starship has flown four times so far, but SpaceX plans to increase that number soon.

“Starship and Super Heavy Flight 5 are ready to fly, pending regulatory approval,” the company said on its website. Thursday afternoon (August 8). “Additional tests of the booster rocket and flight vehicle 6 are scheduled while awaiting flight clearance.”

This regulatory approval would likely come from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which issues licenses for launches from US soil.