FAA approves SpaceX Starship to resume flights after March failure

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has approved SpaceX’s Starship to resume flights following its test failure in March, clearing the way for launches from Texas as early as next week.

The FAA expanded the hazard zones along the rocket’s flight path, extending the Aircraft Hazard Area from 885 to 1,600 nautical miles to include regions over the U.S., the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and other countries in the Caribbean. This adjustment reflects updated safety analyses and accounts for SpaceX’s plan to reuse a Starship booster for the first time on the upcoming test flight.

The approval follows SpaceX’s earlier testing setbacks, which caused debris to fall over nearby territories and disrupted commercial flights. The next launch, potentially scheduled for May 27, will be a critical step in demonstrating Starship’s rapid reusability, a core element of SpaceX’s long-term space program strategy.