SpaceX Receives FCC Clearance for Starship Flight 5 Communications, Tests Tower Capture Arms

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By Maya Cantina

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SpaceX has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to communicate with its Starship rocket during its upcoming Flight 5 from Texas. The FCC approved SpaceX’s request over the weekend to communicate with its Super Heavy booster, and by the looks of it, SpaceX has expanded its communications capabilities with the Starship booster ahead of the test flight that will attempt a capture of the booster with the launch tower arms for the first time.

SpaceX has not received license approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Starship test flight. While waiting for the FAA, the company is busy testing the launch tower arms in Texas as part of key pre-flight preparations.

SpaceX tests Catch Arms launch tower in Texas ahead of Starship 5 flight

According to SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 test application filed with the FAA, the company wanted to expand its communications capabilities with the Super Heavy booster during flight. The rocket’s communications involve an uplink and downlink, with the former responsible for sending commands to the vehicle during different parts of the flight. SpaceX wanted the FCC to “authorize an additional power level for uplink frequencies for Starship Super Heavy vehicle communications” for the fifth test flight that is scheduled to launch from Boca Chica.

After SpaceX confirmed in June While Starship’s fifth test flight would include a tower capture, the company has shared few additional details for the test and its timeline. Because a tower capture would mark a significant change from Starship’s previous test flight profiles, SpaceX needs to secure FAA approval for these changes before it can attempt to capture the 232-foot-tall rocket with its launch tower.

SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 booster on its way to the launch pad in July. Image: SpaceX/X

However, SpaceX has continued to test its launch tower arms while awaiting FAA approval. Images from local media show that over the weekend, it tested both the launch tower arms and the quick-disconnect arms. For the Starship launch, the tower arms stack the second-stage rocket on the first-stage booster, while the quick-disconnect arms are responsible for safely fueling the rocket and then disconnecting it during liftoff.

Footage from Texas shows tower arms closing in on the very top of the launch tower in a simulation of the booster landing. Similarly, the quick-disconnect arm also moved out of the way on its practice run to make room for the booster landing.

A pylon capture is a crucial component of SpaceX’s Starship profile. It reduces the rocket’s turnaround time and allows SpaceX to work on the vehicle in situ before preparing it for another launch. Starship’s fourth test flight in June was the first time both the spacecraft and booster successfully splashed down smoothly into the water. Since then, SpaceX has upgraded the spacecraft’s heat shield and second-stage engines as it prepares to gradually add complexity to its Starship testing.

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