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SpaceX’s first high-altitude test flight of its Starship rocket, which exploded last month while attempting to land after a successful test launch, violated the terms of its Federal Aviation Administration test license, Verge reported on Friday. , citing sources.
An investigation was launched that week focusing on the explosive landing and SpaceX’s refusal to follow the terms of what the FAA authorized, Verge said.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on a refueling mission to the International Space Station takes off from platform 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Sunday, December 6, 2020. (AP Photo / John Raoux)
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The Starship rocket destroyed in the crash was a 16-story prototype for the heavy cargo launch vehicle being developed by billionaire businessman Elon Musk’s private space company to transport humans and 100 tons of cargo on future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The self-guided rocket exploded when it landed on a landing pad after a controlled descent. The test flight aimed to reach an altitude of 41,000 feet, powered by three of SpaceX’s newly developed Raptor engines for the first time.
But the company did not make it clear whether the rocket flew so high.
Artistic concept of the SpaceX spacecraft on the surface of the moon. (SpaceX via NASA)
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The FAA said it would evaluate additional information provided by SpaceX as part of its application to modify its launch license.
“We will approve the modification only after we are satisfied that SpaceX has taken the necessary steps to comply with regulatory requirements,” the company said in a statement.