The regulatory drama surrounding SpaceX’s recent Starship releases has abated. CNNin Jackie Wattles and The Verge I learned that the FAA has ended its investigations into the SN8 and SN9 launches. SpaceX and FAA “resolved” concerns about the SN8 license, said Wattles. Authorities closed the SN9 investigation after determining that the rocket’s death occurred “within the limits” of the FAA’s safety criteria and did not threaten the public.
The FAA’s SN9 investigation was a routine response to a failure, added Wattles. Officials are also investigating the disastrous landing of Falcon 9 from the last Starlink mission, but this will not necessarily lead to problems for SpaceX.
Decisions are good news for SpaceX. They pave the way for the launch of an SN10 prototype, which may happen soon, when the company is prepared to conduct flightless tests on February 22. The question, of course, is whether the spacecraft’s flights will go more smoothly or not. Elon Musk is more confident this time, but making peace with the FAA only matters if SpaceX manages to land the starship and avoid government investigations in the first place.