On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Elon Musk will have to keep its Starship Super Heavy rocket grounded, noting that the company must make 63 fixes before it is cleared for another test flight.
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The FAA has now focused its investigations on the April launch incident, in which the rocket exploded during flight.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, said Tuesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Starship is ready for launch, pending FAA permit approval.
In an emailed statement, the agency said a final report “identifies multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, accident and 63 corrective actions that SpaceX must take to prevent accidents from recurring.”
Corrective actions include: “redesigning the vehicle’s hardware to prevent leaks and fires, redesigning the launch pad to increase its robustness, incorporating additional reviews into the design process, additional analysis and testing of safety, including autonomous flight safety, and implementing additional change control practices.”
In order for SpaceX to resume Starship launches at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the company will need to “implement all corrective actions that affect public safety” as determined by the FAA and apply for and receive an “FAA permit amendment” that covers all safety and other environmental regulatory requirements.
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The FAA was overseeing the investigation into the SpaceX accident, while NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board served as official observers. A full accident investigation report will not be made public because it contains sensitive data, including U.S. export control information.
The first Starship launch lasted about three minutes, as the nearly 400-foot-tall rocket soared into the air. Despite losing multiple engines and sustaining significant damage to ground infrastructure, it unfortunately failed to reach space. The rocket was intentionally brought down and destroyed in midair.
The test flight and explosion left a crater in the ground, hurled concrete debris into nearby reservoirs, damaged a sensitive habitat that is home to some endangered wildlife, and ignited a fire that burned about 4 acres of state park land.
Environmental and heritage NGOs sued the FAA after the first Starship test flight, claiming the agency failed to conduct an adequate environmental assessment before authorizing SpaceX to move forward with its launch plans at Boca Chica. SpaceX has also been accused of the same issue.
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The Starship program is a critical factor in the future of the company's Starlink satellite internet business . SpaceX's Starlink is a global network of over 4,000 satellites that provides internet services in more than 50 countries.
