FAA orders 'mishap investigation' of SpaceX Starship explosion

The Federal Aviation Administration had ordered SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation into the explosion of a Starship over Turks and Caicos during the company's launch Thursday.

SpaceX Rocket Explosion

What we know:

The SpaceX Starship took off from the company's Starbase facility in South Texas Thursday during a test flight. It was expected to land in the Indian Ocean.

Instead, a spokesperson on the company's livestream of the launch mentioned the Starship was having issues shortly after takeoff.

They noted the ship's engines had started to go out prior to their scheduled cut-off before it stopped sending telemetry data.

The FAA said there were no reports of injuries from the explosion and the agency was working with SpaceX and authorities in Turks and Caicos to confirm reports of property damage.

(Source: Cailen Rotz via Storyful)

A debris response area was activated by the FAA after the explosion, which caused some flights to be delayed entering and departing near where debris was falling.

The agency said some flights were diverted because of low fuel levels while being held.

What they're saying:

"Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today's flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability," SpaceX said on social media.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the explosion appeared to be caused by a leak above the engine firewall.

"Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on X. "Apart from obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that volume and probably increase vent area. Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month."

The FAA said it would review the findings of SpaceX's investigation and corrective actions.

"A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety," the agency said in a release Friday.

What is a Mishap Investigation?

Per the FAA, a mishap investigation, "is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again."

The agency has safety inspectors that monitor all phases of commercial space flight.

A division manager controls the safety inspection process while an enforcement manager makes sure regulations are followed.

"During an investigation conducted by the operator, the FAA will provide oversight to ensure the operator complies with its mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements," the agency said. "In addition, the FAA will coordinate response planning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and with Federal launch ranges operated by the U.S. Space Force, as needed."

SpaceX Super Heavy booster catch

Not all was lost in Thursday's explosion.

The company's Super Heavy booster was guided back to the launch site where it was caught by the Mechazilla tower.

It was the second successful "chopsticks" catch by the company.

SpaceX plans to catch its boosters so they can be reused.