The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires SpaceX to complete a mishap investigation related to its latest Starship test flight before the company can resume launching the vehicle. According to multiple reports, the FAA reaches this determination after reviewing the results of Starship Flight 12, which launched on Friday, May 22. The FAA’s requirement means SpaceX must conduct the investigation and provide the completed findings to the regulator as part of the process to gain approval for future flights.
Both outlets describe the action as a formal FAA condition tied directly to the most recent Starship attempt. The FAA’s review is presented as being based on the performance and outcomes observed during the Flight 12 mission, and the investigation requirement functions as a regulatory step before operations can continue. No additional mission-specific technical details are included in the provided excerpts, but the reported common outcome is that Starship is paused pending completion of the FAA-directed mishap inquiry.
