FAA Requires Mishap Investigation into Latest Starship Launch The Federal Aviation Administration has mandated that SpaceX conduct a formal investigation into its latest Starship test flight, which the agency classified as a mishap. The incident occurred during the May 22 Flight 12 mission from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. The FAA’s determination followed an assessment of the launch’s anomalies, which included significant failures in the Super Heavy booster’s performance. The agency’s classification of the event as a mishap triggers a requirement for SpaceX to submit a detailed report and corrective actions for FAA approval before resuming Starship flights. The Flight 12 launch aimed to test the upgraded version 3 of Starship, featuring enhancements to both the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage, including the introduction of Raptor 3 engines. SpaceX planned for the Super Heavy to perform a “boostback” maneuver after the upper stage separated, guiding it toward a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the booster encountered multiple engine failures shortly after initiating the boostback burn. The maneuver, intended to last about a minute, was aborted after less than 20 seconds. The faulty booster then plummeted into the Gulf at speeds exceeding 1,500 kilometers per hour, as confirmed by telemetry data streamed during the SpaceX webcast. The FAA noted that the incident triggered a debris response area, though no damage was reported. The anomaly also caused disruptions to air traffic, with several aircraft experiencing delays or airborne holding events due to the debris field.#spacex #federal_aviation_administration #starship #starbase #flight_12
