FAA Grounds SpaceX's Starship V3 Following Launch Mishap
FAA grounds SpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket after Flight 12 'mishap'
Image: Space
The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Starship V3 following a mishap during its debut flight on May 22. An investigation is required before the rocket can fly again, as the FAA seeks to ensure public safety. The Starship is intended for deep-space missions, including NASA's Artemis 4 lunar mission in 2028.
- 01The FAA labeled the May 22 launch of SpaceX's Starship V3 as a mishap, necessitating an investigation.
- 02The Starship V3 is designed for deep-space travel and aims to support missions to Mars and the Moon.
- 03During the test flight, the upper stage successfully deployed 20 dummy Starlink satellites but the Super Heavy booster experienced a hard splashdown.
- 04The FAA will oversee the investigation led by SpaceX and must approve the final report and any corrective actions.
- 05SpaceX's previous FAA grounding of the Falcon 9 rocket lasted only four days, suggesting a swift resolution may be possible.
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Just five days after its inaugural flight, SpaceX's Starship V3 has been grounded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to a mishap during the launch on May 22. The FAA requires a thorough investigation to ensure that safety protocols are met before the rocket can return to flight. The Starship V3, which stands at 408 feet (124.4 meters), is pivotal for future deep-space missions, including carrying astronauts to the lunar surface for NASA's Artemis 4 mission planned for late 2028. The recent test flight was significant, as it successfully deployed 20 dummy Starlink satellites and two operational satellites for heat shield imaging. However, the Super Heavy booster failed to achieve a controlled splashdown, resulting in a hard landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The FAA will oversee the SpaceX-led investigation, which is expected to be completed quickly, given SpaceX's history of rapid resolutions, such as the four-day grounding of the Falcon 9 rocket earlier this year.
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The grounding of the Starship V3 affects SpaceX's launch schedule and future missions, particularly those related to NASA's Artemis program.
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