WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration wrapped up a technical investigation into SpaceX’s April test launch of its giant Starship rocket, saying in a Friday statement that the company must implement dozens of corrective measures before flying the vehicle again.
The April 20 launch of SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy rocket from Texas pulverized its launchpad upon liftoff and ascended 25 miles before exploding less than four minutes into its flight, as it was attempting to reach space for the first time.
The FAA, which regulates launch site safety, closed a review on Friday of SpaceX’s technical investigation into the launch mishap, citing “multiple root causes” of the failure and 63 corrective actions the company must undertake before it launches the rocket again.
“The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of Starship launches at Boca Chica,” the agency said.
(Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
