An investigation was opened that week focusing on the
explosive landing and on SpaceX's refusal to stick to the terms of what the FAA
authorized, the Verge said.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Starship rocket destroyed in the accident was a
16-storey-tall prototype for the heavy-lift launch vehicle being developed by
billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's private space company to carry humans and
100 tons of cargo on future missions to the moon and Mars.
The self-guided rocket blew up as it touched down on a
landing pad following a controlled descent. The test flight had been intended
to reach an altitude of 41,000 feet, propelled by three of SpaceX's newly
developed Raptor engines for the first time.
But the company left unclear whether the rocket had flown
that high.
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," it said in a statement. -Reuters
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