As SpaceX Continues Starship Investigation, FAA Authorizes Return to Flight

After Starship broke apart, the FAA said it activated a debris response area—which it does only when debris falls outside a preapproved, designated hazard zone—to alert nearby aircraft. As a result, multiple passenger jets flying for American Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and others were diverted and placed in holding patterns. It is unclear whether any of those aircraft were forced to take evasive action to avoid debris. No injuries and only minor damage were reported.

SpaceX in a postflight update said “any surviving pieces of debris would have fallen within areas identified in preflight analysis shared with the FAA and [Air Traffic Organization] (air traffic controllers) in advance,” a contention at odds with the FAA’s action. But it asked anyone who discovered suspected debris to call it in.

Last week, the company shared its analysis of the root cause of the mishap: a “harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing.” That caused stress on Starship’s propulsion system which created fuel leaks, sparking a fire.

According to the FAA, a return to flight while a mishap investigation remains open can only be authorized if three requirements are met, one of which contains the provision that “the mishap did not jeopardize public safety.” The regulator evidently concurs with SpaceX’s finding that safety was not at risk, despite multiple diversions. One pilot shared on social media what appears to be a firsthand video of fiery Starship fragments falling from the sky.

Starship has been grounded three times over the course of seven test flights. But previously, SpaceX completed its mishap investigations before the FAA restored launch permissions. Last week’s determination, then, marks a shift in that paradigm.

The FAA and SpaceX did not immediately respond to FLYING’s requests for comment.

The authorization of Starship Flight 8 comes amid the backdrop of SpaceX and Starlink’s increasing entanglement with the FAA, over which experts have sounded the alarm about a conflict of interest.

The flight is scheduled for liftoff Monday at 6:30 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on SpaceX’s website and social media accounts. If all goes according to plan, it will catch the rocket’s Super Heavy booster back at the landing pad for the third time. The mission will also try a few experiments intended to set the stage for catching Starship itself. The company plans for both stages to be reusable and refurbishable in days—or even hours—rather than weeks or months.

Unlike previous iterations, SpaceX’s updated license would permit orbital launches and reentries. That implies the firm may be close to hitting another key milestone: an in-orbit transfer of supercooled propellant between two Starships, launched separately. A human landing system (HLS) version of Starship will need to recreate that feat when it heads to the moon on NASA’s Artemis III mission, scheduled for mid-2027.

Like this story? We think you'll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.