(Reuters) – SpaceX’s first high-flying test flight of its Starship rocket, which exploded last month as it tried to land after an otherwise successful test launch, violated the terms of its test license from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Verge reported on Friday. with reference to sources. .
An investigation was opened this week focusing on the explosive landing and SpaceX’s refusal to abide by the terms of what the FAA has approved, 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-lift vehicle developed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private space company to transport people and 100 tons of cargo to future missions to the moon and Mars. .
The self-guided rocket blew up when it hit a landing strip, following a controlled descent. The test flight was intended to reach an altitude of 41,000 feet, powered by three of SpaceX’s newly developed Raptor engines.
But the company left unclear whether the rocket flew so high.
The FAA has said it will evaluate additional information provided by SpaceX as part of the application to change the license for its launch.
“We will only approve the amendment once we are satisfied that SpaceX has taken the necessary steps to comply with the regulatory requirements,” reads a statement.
Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; Edited by Raju Gopalakrishnan