FAA orders investigation after SpaceX Starship midflight failure

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an accident investigation into SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, which ended with the spacecraft spinning out of control and breaking apart over the Indian Ocean.

Tuesday’s launch from Starbase in Texas marked the third test of Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket. While it flew farther than the previous two missions — which ended in explosions over the Atlantic — the vehicle ultimately failed to complete its journey, disintegrating midflight.

The FAA confirmed Friday that no injuries or damage to public property occurred. It said all debris from the 403-foot (123-meter) rocket fell within designated safety zones.

The booster, which had been used in a previous launch, also broke up during its descent into the Gulf of Mexico. However, that was part of a deliberately intense test profile pre-approved by the FAA.

Before SpaceX can attempt another launch, it must conduct an internal investigation under FAA supervision.

Despite the setback, CEO Elon Musk has signaled he wants to accelerate the pace of Starship test flights. NASA is counting on the spacecraft to help land astronauts on the moon in the coming years — and eventually, carry missions to Mars.

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