February 27, 2024 11:19 am | Updated 11:31 am IST - WASHINGTONThe U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has closed the investigation into an explosion during SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy Orbital Test flight in late 2023, agreeing with the company on new procedures for future flights. SpaceX said it has implemented hardware "to improve leak reduction, fire protection, and refined operations associated with the propellant vent to increase reliability." Prior to the next launch, SpaceX must implement corrective actions and receive a license modification from the FAA addressing safety, environmental and other regulatory requirements. The FAA said it is evaluating SpaceX’s license modification request and expects SpaceX to submit additional required information before a final determination. "More Starships are ready to fly, putting flight hardware in a flight environment to learn as quickly as possible," the company said.

Source: The Hindu February 27, 2024 08:26 UTC