The Rehearsal

SpaceX has carried out a full launch rehearsal at its Starbase facility in Texas as it prepares for the fourteenth test flight of its Starship rocket. The rehearsal, reported by spaceflight outlet NASASpaceflight, marks a key step in final preparations, and attention is now turning to when the next Starship launch attempt will take place.

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.

Musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra have gone on strike, leading to the cancellation of scheduled performances. The labor action halts one of America's leading orchestras' concert calendar, with rehearsals and shows called off as the dispute continues. No details on the specific issues in contention or the expected duration of the strike are currently available.

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.