In a surprising twist, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may grant SpaceX a license to launch its Starship 5 sooner than anticipated—potentially as early as this month! A source close to the situation revealed this news to Reuters on Tuesday.

Just last month, the FAA had indicated that a decision wouldn't come until late November. However, the latest development casts doubt on that timeline. SpaceX announced on social media that Starship's fifth test flight could take off as soon as October 13, provided they receive the necessary regulatory approval.

The FAA has reiterated its position, stating that it is still reviewing the proposed mission and will make a determination only after ensuring that SpaceX has met all licensing requirements. Interestingly, they haven't reiterated the previously mentioned November deadline, raising speculation about the speed of their decision-making process.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has been vocally critical of the FAA's handling of the situation. He's not just upset about the delays; he's also taken umbrage at a proposed fine of $633,000 against SpaceX for various launch-related issues. Musk hasn't held back in his calls for FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to resign and has even threatened legal action against the agency.

The delays in the approval process have been attributed by some to what SpaceX describes as 'unnecessary environmental analysis.' However, during a congressional hearing last month, Whitaker clarified that the delay stemmed from SpaceX's failure to provide timely analysis of sonic booms associated with the Starship 5 launch.

He stated, 'The delay of the Starship launch had to do with SpaceX filing an application and not disclosing that they were in violation of Texas and federal law on some matters, which is a requirement to gain a permit.'

In an invitation intended for VIP guests, SpaceX hinted at targeting the launch for this Sunday, making it clear that 'as with any test, there is a chance we don't launch on the first attempt.'

The excitement doesn’t stop there! On Sunday, the FAA announced that SpaceX's reliable Falcon 9 rocket is set to return to flight with a mission for the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft. However, on September 30, the FAA had grounded the Falcon 9 for the third time in three months, pending an investigation into a malfunction that occurred during a NASA astronaut mission.

As the possibility of the Starship 5 launch looms closer, many are left wondering: will SpaceX finally secure the go-ahead, or will regulatory hurdles continue to delay their ambitious plans? Only time will tell!