The US Federal Aviation Administration has completed its investigation into the second flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket, which ended in an explosion in late 2023. Following the investigation, the space exploration company and the FAA agreed on new procedures before the next launch.
SpaceX pinpointed the root causes of the explosion, which were then acknowledged and accepted by the FAA. These corrective measures include hardware redesigns, updated control system modeling, re-evaluation of engine analyses, updated engine control algorithms, operational changes, flammability analysis updates, and installation of additional fire protection.
"Prior to the next launch, SpaceX must implement all corrective actions and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements," regulators wrote in an emailed statement.
"The FAA is evaluating SpaceX's license modification request and expects SpaceX to submit additional required information before a final determination can be made," they added.
To recap on the Starship mishap during the mid-November launch that prompted an FAA investigation, Houston Chronicle explains here:
Before the next launch, SpaceX must implement corrective actions and receive a license modification from the FAA.
"More Starships are ready to fly, putting flight hardware in a flight environment to learn as quickly as possible," the company said.
Some X users speculate the next Starship launch could happen as soon as next month. As noted above, SpaceX would have to receive the launch license first.
Earlier this month, Elon Musk posted an image of the Starship stack at SpaceX facilities in Boca Chica, Texas.
Is Jeff Bezos still in the rocket game? There is very little news coming from Blue Origin.