FAA OKs SpaceX Starship Flight 8 launch after Flight 7 mishap

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it cleared the SpaceX Starship vehicle to return to flight operations while an investigation into the January 16 Starship Flight 7 mishap remains open.

The FAA said it issued a license authorizing the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 launch for the combined Starship/Super Heavy vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas after the company completed a required safety review overseen by the agency.

The mission also includes a return to the launch site of the Super Heavy booster rocket for a catch attempt by the launch tower, and a water landing of the Starship vehicle in the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

SpaceX said it is preparing to launch as soon as Monday and said "several hardware and operational changes have been made to increase reliability of the upper stage."

The FAA said SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the new suborbital test flight.

SpaceX's Starship 7 rocket broke up minutes after launching, sending debris streaking over the northern Caribbean and forcing airlines to divert dozens of flights.

The upcoming flight "will fly the same suborbital trajectory as previous missions and will target objectives not reached on the previous test," SpaceX said. It said Starship’s forward flaps "have been upgraded to significantly reduce their exposure to reentry heating while simplifying the underlying mechanisms and protective tiling."

In September, the FAA proposed a $633,000 fine against SpaceX for failing to follow license requirements in 2023 before two launches.

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, who is leading President Donald Trump's effort to reform the U.S. government, last year called for the resignation of FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, who opted to step down when Trump took office.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)

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