FAA Grounds SpaceX Starship V3 After Booster Mishap, Orders Investigation

On May 22, 2026, SpaceX launched the first flight of its upgraded Starship V3 (Flight 12) from Starbase, Texas. After stage separation, the Super Heavy booster’s engines shut down, causing an uncontrolled descent and hard splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The FAA classified the event a “mishap” and ordered a full investigation before further Starship test flights can resume.

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The V3 vehicle used third-generation Raptor engines on both stages. The booster, with 33 Raptors, lost thrust after separation; the upper stage, with six Raptors, lost one engine but still deployed 20 dummy Starlink satellites and two operational units before a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. No injuries or property damage were reported.

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The FAA’s safety mandate requires a mishap investigation and agency approval before return-to-flight. The agency previously grounded Starship after two 2025 flights that broke up over the Caribbean, prompting airspace closures. The current order follows that protocol and also applies to Blue Origin’s New Glenn, which recently received clearance for its next launch.

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The FAA released a statement confirming the mishap, noting no public injuries or property damage, and outlining its role in overseeing the investigation and approving corrective actions. It stressed a return-to-flight will be allowed only after the agency verifies that no system, process, or procedure related to the incident threatens public safety.

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While the FAA’s public statements label the launch a mishap, an earlier FAA email said a formal mishap determination had not yet been made, highlighting a discrepancy in the agency’s evolving assessment.

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Starship is central to SpaceX’s plan to lower launch costs, expand the Starlink constellation, and enable projects such as orbital AI data-center satellites and crewed lunar missions under NASA’s Artemis program. The grounding comes weeks before the company’s anticipated mid-June IPO, potentially affecting investor confidence and the schedule for Artemis IV, targeted for 2028.

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SpaceX will continue suborbital testing from Texas while building launch towers at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A and Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 37. The FAA expects the investigation to take weeks to months; after approval, SpaceX plans to resume flights and move toward operational launches from the Space Coast, targeting up to 120 Starship launches per year.

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• “After a thorough assessment of the operation, the FAA has determined the May 22 SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch resulted in a mishap.” — Federal Aviation Administration, Statement

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• “There are no reports of public injury or damage to public property.” — Federal Aviation Administration, Statement

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• “The FAA will oversee the SpaceX-led investigation, be involved in every step of the process, and approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions.” — Federal Aviation Administration, Statement

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• “A mishap determination has not been made at this time,” — Federal Aviation Administration, Email

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