SpaceX banned from launching Starship to investigate explosion during last flight

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned SpaceX from launching Starship rockets pending an investigation into the loss of the spacecraft during a previous test launch earlier this week. The regulator’s statement also noted that the wreck caused damage to public property in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

Image source: Spacex

SpaceX must complete its investigation into the recent incident and take the necessary steps to avoid a recurrence of the problem during future launches. Only then will the FAA issue a new license to launch Starship. The regulator’s statement emphasizes that the agency had to cancel and delay dozens of airline flights because the SpaceX ship exploded a few minutes after takeoff, causing numerous debris to fall.

Before space shuttles are launched, the FAA publishes a list of aircraft hazard zones, which includes areas where debris could fall if something goes wrong during launch. During Starship’s last launch, the agency notified airlines that debris had fallen outside those hazardous areas, forcing dozens of flights to be canceled or delayed.

SpaceX initially posted a message on its website claiming that Starship debris fell “in the Atlantic Ocean within predetermined hazardous areas.” However, this statement contradicts the FAA, since the agency reported falling debris outside the specified areas. Later, the SpaceX message removed the mention that all the debris fell within the designated areas.