FAA Grounds SpaceX Starship After V3 Debut

Company must now complete a mishap investigation or receive an FAA return to flight determination.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 04:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA grounds SpaceX’s largest rocket yet after its booster experienced anomalies during a test flight this month. [Credit: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Starship rocket following engine anomalies experienced by its Super Heavy booster during the 12th test flight, mandating an investigation.
Despite the booster's engine failures and hard splashdown, the Starship upper stage successfully achieved its planned trajectory, released dummy satellites, and completed atmospheric reentry with improved heat shield performance.
This grounding disrupts SpaceX's aim to increase Starship's launch cadence and could potentially impact NASA's timelines for future lunar missions relying on the system.
The incident reinforces the experimental nature of Starship flights, adding to past concerns regarding debris and disruptions to commercial aviation, although Flight 12 reported no public injury or property damage.

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After completing what it said was a “thorough assessment,” the FAA on Wednesday ordered SpaceX to investigate anomalies that its Super Heavy booster experienced during the 12th test flight of its behemoth Starship rocket.

The aviation regulator on Tuesday was ambiguous about whether an investigation would be required into Starship Flight 12, which launched Friday evening from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. Now, it is grounding the largest rocket ever constructed until the company determines what prevented multiple engines from lighting during a planned Super Heavy flip and boostback maneuver.