SpaceX Starship rockets are being grounded pending an investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the rocket had an issue with the first-stage booster.
The rocket took off from Texas on Friday, but after the booster separated, the engines shut down as it returned to Earth. It was supposed to have a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, but it did not, The Associated Press reported. No one was hurt in the incident.
The FAA said in an update, "The FAA is requiring SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation. The FAA will oversee the SpaceX-led investigation, be involved in every step of the process, and approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions," adding, “A return to flight of the Starship-Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety,” Space.com reported.
It is not known how long the investigation will take.
Bloomberg called it a “common procedural step” by the FAA when there is an issue with a launch.
The mission, despite the booster problem, went on as planned and released 20 mock satellites.
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The rocket returned to earth in a planned fiery splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The system has two parts: the first-stage booster, called Super Heavy, and the upper-stage spacecraft, called Starship. Both are designed for reuse, according to Space.com.
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