FAA approves return to flight for SpaceX's Starship rocket

WASHINGTON :The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approved on Thursday SpaceX's Starship return to flight after the rocket's explosive testing mishap in March, allowing Elon Musk's space company to resume flight testing.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

AsiaOne

4 days ago

• AsiaOne

SpaceX Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk's Mars mission, World News

SpaceX's massive Starship spacecraft exploded into a dramatic fireball during testing in Texas late on Wednesday (June 18), the latest in a series of setbacks for billionaire Elon Musk's Mars rocket programme. The explosion occurred around 11pm local time (12pm on Thursday in Singapore time) while Starship was on a test stand at its Brownsville, Texas Starbase while preparing for the tenth test flight, SpaceX said in a post on Musk's social-media platform X. The company attributed it to a "major anomaly" and said all personnel were safe. Its engineering teams were investigating the incident, and it was coordinating with local, state and federal agencies regarding environmental and safety impacts, the company said. "Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure," Musk said in a post on X, in a reference to a nitrogen gas storage unit known as a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel. "If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design," he continued. The Starship rocket appeared to experience at least two explosions in quick succession, lighting up the night sky and sending debris flying, according to video capturing the moment it exploded. The 400-foot (122-metre) tall Starship rocket system is at the core of Musk's goal of sending humans to Mars. But it has been beset by a string of failures this year. In late May, SpaceX's Starship rocket spun out of control about halfway through a flight without achieving some of its most important testing goals. The Starship lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase, Texas, launch site, flying beyond the point of two previous explosive attempts earlier this year that sent debris streaking over Caribbean islands and forced dozens of airliners to divert course. Two months earlier, the spacecraft exploded in space minutes after lifting off from Texas, prompting the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to halt air traffic in parts of Florida. Videos on social media showed fiery debris streaking through the dusk skies near South Florida and the Bahamas after Starship broke up in space shortly after it began to spin uncontrollably with its engines cut off, a SpaceX live stream of the mission showed. Musk called that explosion "a minor setback." The FAA said earlier this month that it had closed an agency-required investigation into the mishap, citing the probable cause as a hardware failure in one of the engines. SpaceX identified eight corrective actions to prevent a recurrence and the FAA said it verified SpaceX implemented those prior to the late May Starship mission. In January, a Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas, raining debris over Caribbean islands and causing minor damage to a car in the Turks and Caicos Islands. [[nid:716221]]

Business Times

4 days ago

• Business Times

SpaceX Starship explodes on Texas launch pad

[HOUSTON] A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded during a routine ground test in Texas late on Wednesday, the company said, in the latest setback to billionaire Elon Musk's dream of sending humans to Mars. The explosion - which sent a towering fireball into the air - happened at the Starbase launch facility at about 11:00 pm (0400 GMT Thursday), SpaceX and law enforcement officials said. As the company prepared for a static fire test, 'a sudden energetic event resulted in the complete loss of Starship and damage to the immediate area surrounding the stand,' it said on Thursday, updating its initial statement. 'The explosion ignited several fires at the test site which remains clear of personnel,' it said. 'As is the case before any test, a safety zone was established around the test site and was maintained throughout the operation. There are no reported injuries, and all personnel are safe and accounted for.' During a static fire test, part of the procedures preceding a launch, the Starship's first-stage Super Heavy booster would be anchored to the ground to prevent it from lifting off during the test-firing. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Starbase, on the south Texas coast near the border with Mexico, is the headquarters for Musk's space project. The company was preparing for the 10th test flight of Starship. 'Initial analysis indicates the potential failure of a pressurised tank known as a COPV, or composite overwrapped pressure vessel, containing gaseous nitrogen in Starship's nosecone area, but the full data review is ongoing,' SpaceX said. Musk appeared to downplay the incident on Thursday. 'Just a scratch,' he posted on his social media platform X. Mega-rocket Standing 123 m tall, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket and is central to Musk's long-term vision of building a long-term colony on Mars. The Starship is billed as a fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons. The latest setback follows the explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May. That day, the biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off from the Starbase facility, but the Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean. However, the failures will likely do little to dent Musk's spacefaring ambitions. SpaceX has been betting that its 'fail fast, learn fast' ethos, which has helped it dominate commercial spaceflight, will eventually pay off. The company has caught the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower's giant robotic arms three times - a daring engineering feat it sees as key to rapid reusability and slashing costs. Nasa is also increasingly reliant on SpaceX, whose Dragon spacecraft is vital for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX said on Thursday that there are 'no commonalities' between the COPVs used on Starship - the current focus on the investigation - and those used on Falcon. The Federal Aviation Administration approved an increase in annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25 in early May, stating that the increased frequency would not adversely affect the environment. The decision overruled objections from conservation groups that had warned the expansion could endanger sea turtles and shorebirds. AFP

Straits Times

4 days ago

• Straits Times

SpaceX Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk's Mars mission

Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS SpaceX's massive Starship spacecraft exploded into a dramatic fireball during testing in Texas late on Wednesday, the latest in a series of setbacks for billionaire Elon Musk's Mars rocket program. The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. local time while Starship was on a test stand at its Brownsville, Texas Starbase while preparing for the tenth test flight, SpaceX said in a post on Musk's social-media platform X. The company attributed it to a "major anomaly,' and said all personnel were safe. 'Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,' Musk said in a post on X, in a reference to a nitrogen gas storage unit known as a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel. 'If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design,' he continued. SpaceX didn't immediately respond to a request for further comment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.