FAA clears SpaceX Starship to resume flights after May booster failure

SpaceX has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to resume Starship test flights after investigators identified the likely cause of the Super Heavy booster failure during the rocket's May launch.

The company said its next Starship mission could lift off as early as July 16, marking the second test flight of the V3 version of the launch system.

FAA identifies likely cause of booster failure

According to the FAA, the most probable causes of the May booster failure were heat-related effects on propulsion system components and incorrect engine alarm settings during flight.

SpaceX said slight differences in the upper-stage engine startup sequence caused the booster to rotate in the wrong direction during separation, preventing a successful engine relight for its planned splashdown.

The company has since modified the engine startup sequence, improved booster relight reliability and updated the engine alarm and abort systems to reduce the risk of similar failures.

SpaceX prepares first launch with V3 Starlink satellites

The upcoming mission will be the first Starship flight carrying third-generation (V3) Starlink satellites instead of test payloads.

SpaceX plans to deploy 20 V3 Starlink satellites, including six equipped with cameras to capture images of Starship during flight. The satellites are designed to communicate with the existing Starlink network before re-entering Earth's atmosphere about 20 minutes after deployment.

Starship plays key role in SpaceX's future

The May test flight successfully deployed satellite simulators and completed several mission objectives despite the booster landing failure and the loss of one vacuum-optimised Raptor engine.

SpaceX said it has introduced additional hardware and operational improvements to address those issues before the next launch.

The company considers the V3 versions of Starship and Starlink critical to its long-term plans, including expanding satellite internet capacity, developing a fully reusable rocket system and supporting future deep-space missions.