Upon wrapping up a months-long investigation into the fiery conclusion to SpaceX's April launch of Starship, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that Starship is not yet cleared for its second voyage.
The federal agency said that SpaceX needs to take 63 corrective actions before the FAA will clear it to fly again.
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These actions include the redesign of Starship's hardware to "prevent leaks and fires," as well as the redesign of the launch pad "to increase its robustness."
The company will be required to incorporate "additional reviews in the design process, additional analysis and testing of safety critical systems and components including the Autonomous Flight Safety System, and the application of additional change control practices.”
Musk, anxious to get Starship up and running, shared a video of the fully stacked rocket Sept. 5, saying that Starship is "ready to launch, awaiting (Federal Aviation Administration) license approval."
In order to fly again, SpaceX will have to implement all the corrective actions laid out by the FAA and apply for a "license modification from the FAA" which addresses all of its regulatory requirements.
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Musk said in June that SpaceX had already made more than 1,000 changes to Starship following the destruction of the first rocket.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It remains unclear how quickly SpaceX will be able to make these changes and when Starship will be able to fly again.
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