FAA Requires SpaceX to Conduct Mishap Investigation Before Resuming Starship Launches The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated that SpaceX complete a formal mishap investigation into the May 22 Starship Flight 12 mission before resuming launches of the Starship-Super Heavy rocket. The decision follows an analysis of the flight, which ended in an off-nominal performance of the Super Heavy booster, tail number Booster 19, leading to a mishap. The FAA’s statement, released on May 27, emphasized that the agency would oversee the investigation, participate in all stages, and approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions. The mishap occurred during the ascent phase of Flight 12. At approximately 1 minute and 42 seconds into the mission, one of the 33 Raptor V3 engines on the Super Heavy booster failed. Less than a minute later, SpaceX initiated a staged shutdown of engines as it approached stage separation. The on-screen graphics showed 12 of 13 center engines ignited at the 2-minute, 32-second mark, but as the outer ring began re-igniting, several engines were shown as non-operational, deviating from the planned sequence. Dan Huot, a SpaceX communications team member, noted during the broadcast that the company observed “six good engines on ship” and described the event as an “early boostback shutdown.” SpaceX’s post-mission assessment detailed the sequence of events. After stage separation, the Super Heavy booster executed a directional flip maneuver and attempted a boostback burn. However, it failed to ignite all planned engines, resulting in a partial burn that ended prematurely. The booster then attempted to reignite engines for the landing burn but ultimately experienced a hard splashdown in the Gulf of America.#spacex #federal_aviation_administration #starship_flight_12 #super_heavy_booster #raptor_v3_engine
