Starbase

SpaceX has carried out a full launch rehearsal at Starbase, Texas, as it prepares for the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket. The dress rehearsal included countdown procedures and fueling of the launch vehicle. Spaceflight watchers are following the mission closely, as each Starship flight tests new milestones for the vehicle intended for missions to the Moon and Mars.

SpaceX is preparing Flight 14 of its Starship program, scheduled for Sept. 28 and described as the vehicle's first orbital-class test on this flight. The mission timeline has been published in full, giving watchers exact windows and milestones to follow during the launch from Starbase, Texas. Space fans are comparing expectations with previous test flights and discussing what an orbital trajectory would mean for the program's progress.

Conservationists are raising concerns that SpaceX's growing operations in Boca Chica, Texas, could endanger the ocelot, an endangered wild cat found in the region. The company's expansion of its Starbase launch facilities near the Mexican border is drawing scrutiny over its impact on local wildlife habitats.