The Rehearsal

SpaceX has carried out a full launch rehearsal as it prepares for the fourteenth flight of its Starship rocket. The dress rehearsal, watched closely by spaceflight observers, is a key milestone before the vehicle is cleared for liftoff. Attention is now turning to the countdown and what the next test flight could demonstrate about the program's progress.

SpaceX has completed the launch rehearsal for Starship Flight 14, the next test flight of its giant rocket system. The wet dress rehearsal puts the full launch sequence through its paces ahead of liftoff from Starbase, Texas. It is another step in SpaceX's rapid testing campaign for the Starship program, which is central to NASA's lunar landing plans and the company's deep-space ambitions.

The Crew-13 astronauts have landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as preparations intensify for a targeted October 1 launch. Their arrival puts the mission into final countdown mode, with preflight checkouts, training and rehearsals underway at the spaceport. The crewed mission is set to continue rotational flights to the International Space Station, and attention now turns to whether the launch date holds.

The US Senate has passed two bills related to pilot mental health, one year after the second season of Nathan Fielder's HBO series The Rehearsal, which focused heavily on mental health among pilots. Commentators have noted the timing, suggesting the show helped bring public attention to the issue, though the bills' specific provisions remain unclear.