FAA grounds SpaceX Starship after Super Heavy booster fails during return sequence
By
Brandon Vigliarolo
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Summary
SpaceX's latest Starship launch ended in a mishap during the Super Heavy booster's return sequence, prompting the FAA to mandate a grounding and mishap investigation. The incident comes at a particularly challenging time as SpaceX is reportedly courting investors for what could be the largest IPO in history. While the launch started well, the booster's flip maneuver and boostback burn encountered problems after separating from Starship.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledAnother Starship launch, another Federal Aviation Administration-mandated grounding and mishap investigation that couldn't come at a worse time as SpaceX attempts to court investors for what could be the largest IPO in history.
Friday's launch of the latest iteration of Starship atop its Super Heavy booster started off well enough, but things went sideways during the booster's return sequence.
After separating from Starship, the Super Heavy booster attempted its flip maneuver and boostback burn, but engine
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