SpaceX Starship Faces US Review in Step to Resuming Launches (3)

The US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a formal review of the upgrades SpaceX has made to its Starship launch system, one of the final regulatory steps before flights can resume following its explosive April debut.

The agency said in an emailed statement Thursday that it initiated the review — a consultation under the Endangered Species Act — with the Federal Aviation Administration on Oct. 19. The FWS now has as long as 135 days to create an updated biological opinion about how Starship and its launches impact the local environment, however the agency does not “expect to take ...