The regulatory drama surrounding SpaceX’s recent launch of Starship has boiled down. CNNsay Jackie Wattles and The edge has learned that the FAA has ended its investigation into the SN8 and SN9 launches. Wattles said SpaceX and the FAA had “resolved” concerns about the license for SN8. Officials ended the SN9 investigation after finding that the rocket’s death occurred “within the limits” of the FAA’s safety criteria and did not threaten the public.
The FAA’s SN9 investigation was a routine response to a failure, Wattles added. Officials are also investigating the rounded-off Falcon 9 landing from the latest Starlink mission, but that will not necessarily cause problems for SpaceX.
The decisions are good news for SpaceX. They are paving the way for an SN10 prototype launch, which will be possible soon when the company is ready to conduct non-flight tests as early as February 22nd. The question, of course, is whether future Starship flights will run smoother. Elon Musk is more confident this time, however, to make peace with the FAA only matters if SpaceX can successfully land Starship and otherwise avoid government inquiries in the first place.