FAA Approves SpaceX Starship Return to Flight With New Safety Considerations

Agency nearly doubles the aircraft hazard area after the massive rocket exploded on back-to-back test flights in January and March.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 03:05 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Jack Daleo

The FAA has authorized SpaceX’s ninth test flight of its Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship has received FAA approval for its ninth test flight (Flight 9), despite the previous two flights in January and March ending in explosions that caused air travel disruptions.
The FAA granted the "return-to-flight" determination after SpaceX addressed the causes of the Flight 8 mishap and also approved plans for up to 25 Starship launches per year.
New safety measures for Flight 9 include a significantly expanded aircraft hazard area (AHA), nearly doubling it from 885 nm to 1,600 nm, based on updated debris and risk analysis.
SpaceX is expected to continue focusing on reusability by attempting to catch the Super Heavy booster, a maneuver successfully performed in previous flights, as part of its goal to lower launch costs.

See a mistake? Contact us.

After exploding on back-to-back test flights in January and March, SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket has been greenlit for a ninth launch—with new safety considerations.

The FAA on Thursday announced it awarded Starship a return-to-flight determination authorizing Flight 9, which SpaceX CEO Elon Musk predicted would lift off this week. The agency will nearly double the previous flight’s aircraft hazard area (AHA) based on SpaceX’s analysis of that mission, it said in a statement.