The FAA will require SpaceX to determine the cause of a mishap that occurred on Starship’s ninth test flight on Tuesday. [Courtesy: SpaceX]
Key Takeaways:
SpaceX's Starship is grounded by the FAA for a mishap investigation following its ninth test flight, where the vehicle broke apart during reentry after reaching orbit.
The latest failure, potentially due to pressure loss, underscores ongoing challenges in achieving Starship's full reusability, especially successful reentry and landing, which are vital for reducing launch costs.
This grounding and required investigation will likely delay SpaceX's ambitious test flight cadence and could impact its timelines for NASA's 2027 lunar mission and Elon Musk's vision for a 2026 Mars landing.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket is grounded until the company determines what went wrong during the vehicle’s latest test flight on Tuesday.
The FAA will require SpaceX to complete a mishap investigation into the largest rocket to ever fly, which for the third time this year “did not complete its launch or reentry as planned,” the agency said Friday.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
