SpaceX Needs To Implement Corrective Actions Before Starship Flight No. 3, FAA Says

SpaceX has not received a clearance to launch Starship for its third flight. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just wrapped up its investigation into Starship's second flight and required Elon Musk's space company to take corrective actions before it pushed through with its next plan.

FAA Closes Investigation About SpaceX's Starship's Second Flight

The agency announced on Monday afternoon that its investigation over the SpaceX's Starship's second test flight was already done. The mission, which launched from South Texas on Nov. 18, didn't go as planned, so the FAA wanted SpaceX to take some corrective actions before it would give the company clearance for Starship's third flight.

"Prior to the next launch, SpaceX must implement all corrective actions and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements," the agency officials wrote in an email.

"The FAA is evaluating SpaceX's license modification request and expects SpaceX to submit additional required information before a final determination can be made."

This may delay SpaceX's plans as the company is determined to stick to its fast-paced "build, fly and iterate" philosophy. SpaceX has been preparing for the next launch of Starship. Elon Musk announced earlier this year that the company would focus on the rocket designed to carry payloads and humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

SpaceX attempted to launch Starship for the first time in April but was unsuccessful. Texas was left in a terrible mess by the botched launch. Nearby houses trembled, and at least one window shattered. An ash-like substance filled the city, and the rocket's impact left a massive crack in the launchpad's foundation. SpaceX is preparing for another attempt.

Not everything went according to plan on Starship's second voyage. Starship failed to accomplish the final goal of the test launch, which was to make a partial orbit of the Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

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What Are The Corrective Actions Needed?

According to the FAA, SpaceX has determined the primary reasons for the issue, and all sides have agreed upon the 17 corrective actions included in SpaceX's incident report.

The FAA's list of corrective actions, which it divided into 10 for the Starship vehicle and seven for the Super Heavy Booster, covers a wide range of fixes, from operational modifications to hardware redesigns.

SpaceX plans hardware redesigns, new control system modeling, and reassessing engine evaluations based on OTF-2 flight data for the Super Heavy Booster. Comparable alterations to hardware, operational modifications, and revisions to guidance systems and flammability evaluations are part of the Starship vehicle's remedial measures.

SpaceX intends to apply the knowledge gained from the OTF-2 flight to upcoming Starship and Super Heavy launch projects. The world's most potent launch system will see improvements from the flight test "along with planned performance enhancements" to increase its dependability and effectiveness.

In the end, SpaceX stated that it is also "improving the speed of propellant loading operations prior to launch" and that the changes to the pad, including the water-cooled flame deflector, went according to plan following the maiden flight test. Additionally, SpaceX continues to prioritize iterative design and advancements.

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