Musk’s SpaceX violated his launch license in explosive Starship: the Verge test

(Reuters) – SpaceX’s first high-altitude test flight of its Starship rocket, which exploded last month as it attempted to land after an otherwise successful test launch, violated its license terms Federal Aviation Administration test report, the Verge reported on Friday, citing sources. .

An investigation was opened that week focusing on the explosive landing and SpaceX’s refusal to stick to the terms of what the FAA has authorized, The Verge said.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Starship rocket destroyed in the crash was a 16-story prototype for the heavy-duty launcher developed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private space company to transport humans and 100 tonnes of cargo on future missions to the Moon and on Mars.

The homing rocket exploded while landing on an airstrip after a controlled descent. The test flight was aimed at reaching an altitude of 41,000 feet, powered for the first time by three of SpaceX’s newly developed Raptor engines.

But the company did not know if the rocket had flown this high.

The FAA said it would assess additional information SpaceX provided as part of its application to change its launch license.

“We will only approve the change after we are satisfied that SpaceX has taken the necessary steps to comply with regulatory requirements,” he said in a statement.