Key facts
- The FAA has closed its investigation into a SpaceX Starship booster failure during a May test flight.
- The investigation cited a failure of a fuel component as the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle.
- SpaceX has identified corrective actions to prevent a reoccurrence of the event.
- SpaceX plans to launch the next Starship test flight from Texas as early as August 24.
- The company stated it would change the angle on return flights to put less pressure on the booster.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed its investigation into a SpaceX Starship booster's failure during a May test flight, clearing the way for the company's next launch from Texas as early as this week. The FAA accepted SpaceX's findings that a fuel component failure was the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle.
SpaceX has identified corrective actions to prevent a recurrence of the event. The company has slated Starship Flight 10 for as early as August 24, launching from its Starbase test site in Texas. SpaceX detailed its findings for the Flight 9 issues, including the loss of the Super Heavy booster during its reentry attempt and the upper stage over the Indian Ocean.
According to the company, the booster broke up during an "energetic event" at an altitude of about 3,200 feet. SpaceX stated it would change the angle on return flights to put less pressure on the booster. For the upper stage, a failure in the spacecraft’s nosecone area of a fuel diffuser canister caused it to automatically dump fuel in space for a safer return over the Indian Ocean, about 46 minutes after launch. SpaceX has redesigned the fuel diffuser to better direct pressurized gas into the main fuel tank and substantially decrease the strain on the diffuser structure.