SpaceX is primed to accelerate development of its Starship space rocket after being granted permission to increase its launches from five to 25 per year.
The US Federal Aviation Administration issued its final environmental assessment, in which it said that SpaceX’s licence was being modified to increase the number of launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
Starship, a two-stage system that involves the Super Heavy Booster and the Starship spacecraft, has been launched on eight test flights in two years, with each one bringing SpaceX closer to beginning commercial operations.
“The FAA's evaluation of a permit or licence application includes a review of public safety issues (such as overflight of populated areas and payload contents), national security or foreign policy concerns, insurance requirements for the launch operator and potential environmental impact,” the administration said.
Dr Sarath Raj, project director of the Satellite Ground Station at Dubai's Amity University, told The National that the move will “significantly accelerate” the rocket’s development.
“This substantial increase from the previous limit allows SpaceX to implement a rapid iterative testing campaign, quickly identifying and rectifying design or operational flaws through frequent flight data,” he said.
“Each launch provides invaluable real-world performance data crucial for refining the Starship system, including its novel full reusability aspects.”
More flights, faster progress
SpaceX has also used this rapid development approach for its flagship Falcon rockets, building and testing them quickly to gather data and make improvements.
But frequent test flights of Starship have been a challenge in the past due to strict requirements.
Billionaire Elon Musk threatened to sue the FAA in September after it proposed to issue $633,009 worth of penalties to SpaceX for not following licence requirements during two of its launches in 2023.
When US President Donald Trump won the election in November, experts predicted that the new administration would help fast-track Starship’s path to commercial operations by cutting down on regulatory delays.
“For instance, the administration could prioritise rapid permitting for launches and streamline environmental reviews, which have historically slowed SpaceX operations at Boca Chica,” Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris advisory firm Bumi and Space, told The National at the time.
“The FAA could waive certain regulatory requirements or set aggressive deadlines for assessments, potentially shortening the approval timeline for each launch.”
Powerful friend in the White House
The Trump administration has historically advocated for reducing regulatory barriers and expediting approval processes, especially for industries it considers critical to the US, such as aerospace and defence.
Mr Musk has influence in the administration, having been appointed by Mr Trump to lead a drive to improve government efficiency.
“With Trump’s re-election, his administration’s pro-space, tech-driven and industrial vision for America’s future could lead to supportive FAA policies for commercial space ventures, potentially fast-tracking projects like Starship,” said Anna Hazlett, founder of AzurX, a UAE-based space advisory and investment firm.
On May 3, SpaceX's launch site Starbase officially became a city in Texas, after residents of the area, many of whom are SpaceX employees, voted in favour of Mr Musk's proposal.
While the regulatory approval enables SpaceX to speed up development, Dr Raj said that the company should still manage environmental responsibilities.
Boca Chica, on the Texas Gulf Coast, is home to sensitive wildlife habitats and has been at the centre of environmental debates over rocket debris, noise and pollution.
“Crucially, this progress must be accompanied by robust environmental monitoring, including air and water quality, noise levels and debris impact, ensuring alignment with global sustainability efforts in space activities,” he said.
Starship is central to SpaceX’s long-term vision, as the company holds a $2.89 billion Nasa contract to develop a lunar landing system for the Artemis programme.
Mr Musk’s ultimate goal, however, is to use the rocket to “make life multiplanetary” and eventually send humans to Mars.
A new budget proposal for Nasa by the White House suggests a greater focus on human space exploration of the Moon and Mars.
The ninth test flight of Starship is planned for this month.
In the previous flight in March, the Starship spacecraft successfully separated from the booster, which then returned to be captured mid-air by mechanical arms on a launch tower.
Mission control lost contact with the spacecraft during its ascent. It broke up and re-entered the atmosphere over Florida and the Bahamas.
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAyan%20Mukerji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Alia%20Bhatt%20and%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Read more about the coronavirus
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
