SpaceX Yet to File Paperwork in Starship Investigation, FAA Says

Elon Musk and SpaceX continue to provide hopeful updates on the next Starship flight, but red tape may delay the launch.

Jack Daleo

Monday, July 31, 2023 at 05:04 PM ET

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SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy booster positioned on the launchpad ahead of April’s test flight. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship remains grounded beyond Elon Musk's predicted timeline, awaiting FAA approval following its April maiden flight explosion.
The FAA's ongoing mishap investigation requires SpaceX to submit a final report detailing the root cause and implement corrective actions before modifying its launch license for future flights.
The April launch caused significant damage and environmental concerns, leading to a lawsuit against the FAA (joined by SpaceX) by environmental groups, which could further delay Starship launches for years.
These delays for Starship are raising concerns about the feasibility of NASA's Artemis 3 moon mission, currently planned for 2025, which relies on the spacecraft.

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“Six to eight weeks,” Elon Musk replied when asked about the next launch of SpaceX Starship after its maiden voyage went up in flames in April. Since Musk’s June 13 comment, SpaceX has tweeted that its Starship Super Heavy Booster 9 was transported to the company’s Starbase launchpad and shared updates on completed propellant load and flame deflector tests.