SpaceX's Starship Crash Probe Concludes With 63 Corrective Actions Suggested By FAA — Elon Musk Raises This Question

The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, said on Friday that it has closed its investigation into the explosion of SpaceX‘s Starship during its first flight test in April.

The Mishap Report: The final report cites multiple root causes for the mishap and 63 corrective actions for the rocket manufacturer to take. These corrective actions include a redesign of the vehicle hardware and launchpad and incorporation of additional reviews in the design process.

The FAA has also called for additional analysis and testing of safety critical systems and components, including the Autonomous Flight Safety System, and the application of additional change control practices.

SpaceX conducted the first test launch of Starship on April 20. The rocket exploded in less than four minutes after take-off, damaging the launch pad at Starbase and raining down dust on the residents of Port Isabel, Texas.

However, the closure of the investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of Starship launches at Boca Chica, the FAA clarified.

The initial launch license procured by SpaceX authorized it to conduct just one launch and the company will now have to apply for a modification of the license to allow for more launches. While applying for a modification, SpaceX will also have to demonstrate that it has implemented corrective measures.

“Further, the FAA's closure of the mishap investigation does not predetermine the results of any ongoing or future environmental reviews associated with Starship operations at Boca Chica,” FAA wrote in its letter to SpaceX dated Sept. 7.

Musk Reacts: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to respond to the FAA letter, and asked, “What are the 63 items?” noting that the agency has not listed the corrective actions.

Earlier this week, Musk said that Starship — touted to be the biggest rocket ever and a major part of his dreams of making life “multi-planetary” by enabling human and cargo travel to Mars — is ready to launch and is now merely awaiting FAA license approval for its second flight test.

In an interview with journalist and author Ashlee Vance on June 24, Musk estimated a 60% probability for the next flight to reach orbit, contingent on the success of stage separation. 

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Image created with artificial intelligence on MidJourney and Official SpaceX Photos on Flickr