After a two-week investigation, the FAA apparently decided that the SpaceX Starship interplanetary rocket test program was doing well, although its last two rockets were blowing to some extent while trying to land at the Boca Chica, Texas test facility. “The SN9 vehicle failed within the limits of the FAA safety analysis,” the FAA stated in a statement to CNN. “The unsuccessful landing and explosion did not endanger the public or property.” Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, responded by breaking his self-imposed exile from Twitter and tweeted there’s a good chance of flying this week! ‘The launch of SN10 and the next attempt to land the silo-like rocket could already take place on Monday.
The FAA has delayed the SN9 launch due to a paper issue with the previous launch. This angered Musk, who criticized the FAA’s oversight. After SN9 blew up, the agency said it would oversee SpaceX’s investigation and reach the “cause” of the spectacular failures. The SN9 crash occurred after one of the two rockets needed to land the spacecraft did not ignite. Musk and his engineers have already said they should have lit all three rockets, confirmed two burns and turned off the third during the descent.