US FAA closes one of two SpaceX Starship probes as rocket remains grounded

By Joey Roulette

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said it closed out a review into SpaceX's explosive Starship test flight in January, while another investigation into the rocket's subsequent testing explosion in March remains open.

SpaceX's last two test flights of Starship, a 400-foot-tall (122-meter-tall) rocket system at the center of Elon Musk's goal to colonize Mars, ended with explosions during similar phases of flight, representing a novel setback in SpaceX's flagship development program at a time when the tech billionaire has pushed for faster progress.

The FAA, which oversees U.S. launch safety matters, had allowed SpaceX to launch Starship's eighth test flight while its review into the prior testing failure remained open. The agency said SpaceX assured it that the company had taken 11 corrective actions.

The agency on Monday closed its probe into Starship's seventh test but kept open the probe into Starship's subsequent failure, adding that the rocket may not return to flight until the FAA deems it safe enough for the public.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Paul Simao)