The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially concluded its investigation into the explosive end of SpaceX's Starship Flight 7, which suffered a catastrophic failure high above the Atlantic Ocean in January. The agency has also wrapped up its probe into Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket mishap, marking significant milestones for both spaceflight companies.
Starship Flight 7: A Partial Success That Ended in Fiery Demise
On January 16, SpaceX launched its ambitious Starship Flight 7 from the Starbase facility in South Texas. The mission began on a promising note, with the Super Heavy booster executing a flawless return, successfully landing at the launch tower using its complex "chopstick" arm system just seven minutes after liftoff.
Credit: SpaceX
However, minutes later, the mission took a dramatic turn. The towering 171-foot (52-meter) Starship upper stage unexpectedly exploded while in flight, scattering debris over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Following the incident, SpaceX initiated an internal investigation under the supervision of the FAA.
The investigation pinpointed the cause of the explosion to a propellant leak, attributed to unexpectedly strong "harmonic responses" during flight. These vibrations induced excessive stress on the propulsion system, ultimately leading to the vehicle's structural failure.
"The final mishap report cites the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle was stronger than anticipated vibrations during flight [which] led to increased stress on, and failure of, the hardware in the propulsion system," the FAA stated in an official email on March 31.
In response, SpaceX identified and implemented 11 corrective measures aimed at preventing a recurrence of the issue. These steps were verified by the FAA prior to SpaceX's subsequent launch, Starship Flight 8, which took place on March 6. However, Flight 8 also experienced a failure of its upper stage over the Atlantic, prompting another ongoing investigation.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Booster Fail During Recovery Attempt
In a separate development, the FAA also concluded its inquiry into Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket mishap, which occurred on the same day as Starship Flight 7. The New Glenn rocket successfully reached orbit, accomplishing its primary objective, but its first-stage booster failed to land as intended.
Credit: Blue Origin
According to the FAA’s findings, the cause of the failure was an inability of the booster’s engines to restart, which prevented the necessary reentry burn and led to the loss of the stage. Despite the failed landing, the mission did not result in any public safety concerns or property damage.
Both the Starship and New Glenn mishap investigations were officially closed on March 28, with the FAA confirming that neither incident resulted in injuries. The only reported damage from either mission was a single case of minor vehicle damage in the Turks and Caicos, caused by Starship Flight 7 debris.
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