SpaceX Lacked FAA Approval for Launch That Ended in Fireball
- Musk’s firm ordered to conduct probe after Starship explosion
- New rocket cleared for launch following delay, regulator says
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Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. went ahead with a December test launch of its massive Starship rocket even though federal regulators denied the company a required safety waiver.
SpaceX had asked to exceed the maximum public risk allowed by U.S. regulations for the Dec. 9 test, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email Tuesday. The agency turned down the request, but the company proceeded anyway, the FAA said, the same day the agency approved a license for SpaceX to fly its next prototype.