The FAA is grounding SpaceX’s Starship after its latest explosion

The Federal Aviation Administration is ordered SpaceX to conduct a flawed investigation which led to the company’s Starship rocket an explosion inside the plane on January 16. Until the FAA approves SpaceX’s investigation, the company will not be allowed to proceed with future Starship operations.

SpaceX’s launch appears to be proceeding as planned before the explosion. The Starship had a successful launch and SpaceX was able to capture the ship’s boosters. But then, just eight and a half minutes after takeoff, the Starship exploded, according to SpaceX blog post about the launch. In response to the sudden explosion, the FAA launched a “Debris Response Area” delaying or diverting local flights to avoid further accidents, significantly delaying flights from multiple airlines, According to Price CNBC.

An FAA statement said no one was injured by the debris but that it was working to “verify reports of damage to public property in Turks and Caicos.” The serious investigation that SpaceX is conducting must determine not only what caused the explosion, but also what the company needs to do to prevent it from happening again. “The initials show a fire that started in the back of the ship,” SpaceX says.

This is not the first time that a Starship has been seriously damaged. Multiple Starship launch is over with SpaceX’s additionsand A starship or all of them explosion. The company seems to be doing well in handling and recycling its Super Heavy accessories, however. The successful launch that preceded the January 16 launch is the second time SpaceX has launched. His first successful Super Heavy catch was in October 2024.