SpaceX’s latest Starship to attempt to reach space exploded nine minutes after its launch this week, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Airports in Florida were forced to halt flights as the threat from impacts extended south to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is again requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into what led its eighth Starship test flight to end with a loss of the vehicle. The rocket launched toward space Thursday (March 7) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. It was the company’s second launch in a row to conclude with an explosion (its Starship Flight 7 test met a similar fate in January) and came as the investigation into the previous “mishap” had yet to be concluded.
“A mishap investigation is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again,” the FAA wrote in a statement. “The FAA will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions.”
Starship was following its planned trajectory when, prior to the cut off of an ascent burn, an “energetic event” in the rare of the Starship caused the loss of several of its engines,” wrote SpaceX in a post-flight report published on its website. Communications were subsequently lost with the steel spacecraft, with final contact occurring at 9 minutes and 30 seconds into the flight.
“Starship flew within a designated launch corridor to safeguard the public both on the ground, on water and in the air,” the company wrote. “Following the anomaly, SpaceX teams immediately began coordination with the FAA, ATO (air traffic control) and other safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses.”
Airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Orlando slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft before their departure in response to an alert sent out by the FAA. Once the threat from debris passed, normal operations resumed.
“A Debris Response Area is activated only if the space vehicle experiences an anomaly with debris falling outside of the identified closed aircraft hazard areas. It allows the FAA to direct aircraft to exit the area and prevent others from entering,” the administration wrote in its statement.
If any debris made it to the ground, SpaceX said it would have fallen within a planned area. Any surviving pieces did not include toxic materials and was safe to sea animals and water quality, according to SpaceX.
Still, if any debris is found, the company said it should be reported to local authorities or the SpaceX Debris Hotline (1-866-623-0234 or recovery@spacex.com).
The Starship’s launch booster, which SpaceX calls Super Heavy, successfully separated from the vehicle and for only the third time, executed a return to its launch site, where it was caught in mid-air by chopstick-like arms on its launch tower.
“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and [Thursday’s] flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability,” SpaceX wrote. “We will conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests.”
SpaceX’s ability to fly Starship again will be based on the FAA determining that “any system, process or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety,” FAA officials wrote.