SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Crash, FAA Demands Investigation

A SpaceX Starship test flight went awry on Tuesday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to demand an accident investigation. The world’s biggest and most powerful rocket flew halfway around the world to the Indian Ocean before spinning out of control and breaking apart. Despite the failure, the test flight lasted longer than the previous two demos, which exploded over the Atlantic.

The FAA confirmed that no injuries or public damage were reported from the incident. The first-stage booster, reused from an earlier flight, intentionally burst apart over the Gulf of Mexico during extreme testing approved by the FAA. All debris from the 403-foot rocket fell within designated hazard zones.

The FAA will oversee SpaceX’s investigation, a necessary step before another Starship launch can occur. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk aims to accelerate Starship test flights, with plans to launch to Mars. NASA relies on Starship to land astronauts on the moon in the coming years [AP].