SpaceX's Starship rockets are grounded pending investigation after test flight
SpaceX's Starship rocket lifts off during a test flight from Starbase, Texas on Friday (May 22).
PHOTO: Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — SpaceX Starship launches are on hold pending an investigation into last week's test flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday (May 27) that the hourlong spaceflight resulted in a mishap based on the performance of the mega rocket's first-stage booster.
Minutes after Starship blasted off from Texas on Friday, the booster separated as normal but engines conked out as it made its way back to Earth. Instead of a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, the booster came in hard.
There were no reports of injury or property damage, according to the FAA, which will oversee the company's investigation.
@asiaone Blue Origin was recently awarded a contract by NASA to launch a pair of moon buggies as part of the Artemis programme. #news #USA #Space #BlueOrigin #Rocket ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
The spacecraft continued around the world, releasing 20 mock satellites before ending the mission as planned with a fiery splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The 124-metre rocket is SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's biggest and most powerful Starship yet, designed to carry crews to Mars.
Nasa is looking for it to land astronauts on the moon as soon as 2028 and help build a lunar base.
[[nid:736337]]