U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Orders Investigation into SpaceX Starship Incident

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has tasked SpaceX with investigating an incident that occurred during a Starship test flight. The issue concerns the Super Heavy rocket, which failed to land and fell into the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the FAA, the incident occurred on May 22 during Starship's 12th test flight. The primary portion of the flight was completed successfully: the spacecraft deployed test satellites and completed its planned landing in the Indian Ocean. The problem arose with the Super Heavy rocket booster, which was returning toward the Gulf of Mexico but failed to land as planned. According to the agency, no injuries or property damage resulted from the incident. SpaceX will conduct the investigation; however, the FAA will fully oversee the process and approve the final report itself. The agency's goal is to determine the cause of the incident and identify what changes are necessary to prevent similar occurrences. The Starship program is significant for SpaceX because the company aims to use it to reduce launch costs, expand the Starlink network, and carry out future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Source: Investing.com