The news
The next giant Starship rocket from Elon Musk’s SpaceX is on the launch pad in South Texas. But the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that the company needed to take “corrective action” before it would issue a takeoff license for the second flight.
A number that sums it up: 63 corrective actions are required.
The first Starship test flight took off successfully on April 20th. A few minutes later, it went out of control and then ended in an explosion triggered by its flight abort system, which is designed to prevent runaway missiles from crashing into a populated area. The rocket reached an altitude of 24 miles over the Gulf of Mexico, falling far short of orbit, although SpaceX employees poured champagne to celebrate the flight’s successes.
In a post on its website on Friday, SpaceX described the problems.
“During ascent, the vehicle suffered fires from fuel leaks at the aft end of the Super Heavy booster, which ultimately lost connection to the vehicle’s primary flight computer,” the SpaceX update said. “This resulted in a loss of communication to most of the booster engines and ultimately a loss of control of the vehicle.”
The launch also caused significant damage to the launch pad, blowing pieces of concrete into surrounding areas and sending up clouds of dirt that reached a small town six miles from the launch site.
The FAA said the 63 corrective actions described in the final investigative report included redesigns of the rocket to prevent leaks and fires, as well as additional analysis and testing of safety systems, including the flight abort system.
Improvements to the launchpad were also requested. SpaceX spent several months installing a large steel plate and a water flooding system to minimize damage caused by the launch.
The FAA said the investigation report will not be released publicly because it contains confidential information from SpaceX and also data restricted by United States export controls.
None of the 63 corrective actions will come as a surprise to SpaceX, as the company has conducted the investigation, identifying the causes of the errors that occurred during the April launch and what needed to be fixed. The FAA reviewed the SpaceX report, agreed with the company’s findings and closed the investigation.
What it looked like: Watch the last launch in 2 videos.
A video from SpaceX captured the launch of the massive rocket and the moment the rocket began to spiral out of control before exploding.
Other images showed the extent of the cloud of dirt and debris thrown up by the launch.
Background: Musk’s moon and Mars rocket mission.
Starship, which sits on the SuperHeavy booster stage, is the largest rocket ever built, an essential element of Mr. Musk’s vision of establishing a colony on Mars. The rocket is designed to be completely reusable. After the booster has provided thrust in the first few minutes of flight, it should descend and land on the launch pad. The upper spacecraft section then continues its orbit. It can also return to Earth by flying through the atmosphere on its belly before rotating into a vertical orientation for landing.
As part of its Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon, NASA has contracted with SpaceX to build a version of Starship to carry its astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface. The first moon landing as part of the Artemis III mission is currently scheduled for the end of December 2025. However, that schedule will almost certainly be pushed back. SpaceX must first conduct an unmanned demonstration landing.
What’s next: Another test flight of the giant rocket.
On Tuesday, Mr. Musk posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter that he owns: “Starship is ready for launch and awaiting FAA license approval.”
Completion of the investigation into the April launch does not mean the next launch is imminent, the FAA said.
“SpaceX must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and apply for and receive a license change from the FAA that meets all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements before the next Starship launch,” the agency said.
Environmental groups have sued the FAA and called for a broader review of the impacts of the Starship launches. The case is still in its preliminary stages.
SpaceX has not set a target date for the second launch.