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Though the probe has now been completed, “the closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of Starship launches at Boca Chica”, said the agency.
“SpaceX must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and apply for and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the next Starship launch,” it added.
A new Starship currently stands ready at the launchpad, according to publicity material posted by SpaceX on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In a statement, the company reiterated its position that the first test “was a critical step in advancing the capabilities of the most powerful launch system ever developed” and “provided numerous lessons learned that are directly contributing to several upgrades being made” to the vehicle and ground structures.
Starship, which stands 120m tall, produces 16.7 million pounds of thrust, more than double of the Saturn V rockets used to send Apollo astronauts to the Moon.
SpaceX foresees it as a next-generation, fully reusable spaceship that will eventually carry both crew and cargo to Mars. NASA has contracted a version of Starship to function as a lander craft for its Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon by the middle of this decade.
