"SpaceX's Starship Prepares for First Orbital Launch Amid High Stakes and Regulatory Hurdles"

SpaceX is preparing for the first orbital flight attempt of its massive Starship system from its facility in Texas. The combined system, consisting of the Super Heavy booster and Starship vehicle, will take flight if minor hardware work and a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration are completed. NASA plans to use a modified version of Starship to lower astronauts to the lunar surface as part of its Artemis program. The success of Starship's first flight could impact the growing space industry in Texas and Florida, where SpaceX plans to launch Starship from KSC's pad 39A in the coming years.