SpaceX conducted its eighth test flight of the Starship rocket from its South Texas launch facility on Thursday evening. The Super Heavy booster successfully landed back at a "chopstick"-like tower after liftoff,

W hen Musk and his allies turned their attention to the FAA last month, they identified a problem: The communications infrastructure used by the agency to manage air-traffic control and aviation safety dates to 2002. It still relies on copper-based wiring and traditional radio. It’s showing its age.

While SpaceX has yet to confirm the launch, according to the FAA, liftoff is set to occur between 11:43 p.m. Sunday and 3:14 a.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40. The mission is known as Starlink 12-21. The payload is the next batch of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites.

Thursday's test flight, with the launch window opening at 6:30 p.m. ET, will attempt to deploy four Starlink simulators from the megarocket.

It's been almost a week since the Space Coast has heard the rumble of the Falcon 9 rocket. One is set to launch Saturday night.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued temporary flight restrictions for both airports after SpaceX confirmed that its Starship vehicle suffered a "rapid unscheduled disassembly."

SpaceX's eighth flight test of its Starship spacecraft ended with a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," the company said. Contact with the ship was lost about nine minutes after the launch.

US aviation authorities temporarily halted flights at several Florida airports over concerns about debris from SpaceX's Starship, which spun out of control shortly after launch.

The Federal Aviation Administration did, too. The FAA halted flights, including at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, after SpaceX confirmed that its Starship launch experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its ascent. Translation: The rocket blew up.

The landing legs stuck up in the air and the melted rocket body hung off the side of the drone ship — making the first-stage booster nearly unrecognizable to casual observers. The only tell-tale signs that the object had been a Falcon 9 rocket were nine engines found intact.

For the second time in seven weeks, a major explosion aboard a SpaceX rocket sent planes scrambling for safety after debris was spotted raining down over the southwest Atlantic on Thursday evening.

Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX said on Wednesday that its Starlink satellite unit has no intent to take over any Federal Aviation Administration telecommunications contract, rejecting media reports.