SpaceX has got FAA permission to fly its Starship spacecraft prototype, Tech Crunch reported.

Officially, the FAA has granted SpaceX permission to conduct what it terms “reusable launch vehicle” missions, now the Starship prototype has the right to take off from the launch pad in Boca Chica and land back. The flight altitude is virtually unlimited; the license covers all the needs of SpaceX as part of the Starship test program.

The company had already completed one flight test earlier, but with Starhopper - a reduced and simplified copy of Starship. With its help, the capabilities of the Raptor engine that is expected to be installed on the Starship were tested.

SpaceX managed to build several prototypes of the spacecraft, but none of them had flown yet.

"The plan now is to fly this one for a short “hop” flight similar to the one conducted by Starhopper, with a maximum altitude of around 500 feet. Should that prove successful, the next version will be loaded with more Raptor engines, and attempt a high-altitude test launch," the source noted.