FAA Closes SpaceX-starship Investigation

Friday, September 8, 2023

The FAA has closed the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy mishap investigation.

The fi-nal report cites multiple rootcauses of th-e April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 correcti-ve actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence.

Corrective actions i-nclude redesigns of vehicle hardware to prevent leaks and fires, redesign of the la-unch pad to increase its robustness, inc-orporation of additional reviews in the d-esign process, additional analysis and te-sting of safety critical systems and com-ponents including the Autonomous Fligh-t Safety System, and the application of a-dditional change control practices.

The closure of the mishap investigation d-oes not signal animmediate resumption of Starship launches at BocaChica.

Space-X must implement all corrective actions t-hat impact public safety and apply for a-nd receive a license modification from th-e FAA that addresses all safety, environ-mental and other applicable regulatory r-equirements prior to the next Starship la-unch.

Contact SpaceX for additional informatio-n. Learn moreabout mishap investigatio-ns.-------------→www.spaceX.com