The FAA began investigating the second-ever test flight of SpaceX’s enormous Starship rocket, just as it did with the first launch. After lifting off from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas on Saturday, the Starship aimed to complete a test mission, sending its upper stage most of the way around Earth with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The flight, however, ended just eight minutes after takeoff with the upper stage of the Starship undergoing a catastrophic failure. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be leading this investigation to ensure SpaceX follows regulatory requirements.
The FAA also supervised the investigation of the Starship’s first test mission on April 20, which had several issues that required the agency to close the investigation on September 8. Despite this, there were still regulatory hoops to jump through before the Starship could fly again. While it may seem to be a long process, the recent launch had successful aspects, including a promising ignition of all 33 of the Super Heavy’s engines, a successful separation of the booster from the upper stage, and an extended burn for the Starship’s Raptors resulting in a maximum altitude of 91 miles.
SpaceX remains optimistic about the outcome of the flight, stating that they collected valuable data to improve for future flights despite the rapid unscheduled disassembly of both the Super Heavy booster and the Ship. The timing of the next flight depends on the investigation’s outcome and any necessary adjustments before the FAA clears Starship for flight. If you’re interested but can’t see SpaceX’s Starship in person, a Starship Die Cast Rocket Model is now available to purchase. Standing at 13.77 inches, it’s a desktop display that’s perfect for any fan.
