Live coverage: SpaceX Falcon 9 launches

SpaceX defied public safety rules on its most recent Starship launch over South Texas in December, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday as it approved a license for SpaceX’s next high-altitude Starship test flight scheduled for the same day.

Assuming good weather and a smooth final few weeks on the International Space Station, astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are scheduled to undock from the orbiting research outpost Aug. 1 and return to Earth the next day to wrap up a 64-day test flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship.

The Starlink 9-14 mission launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base is also set to feature the 300th successful SpaceX droneship booster landing. Liftoff from pad 4 East happened at 7:05 p.m. PST (10:05 p.m. EST, 0305 UTC).