What Happened
Regulatory Halt Follows Starship Flight 12 Mishap
The Federal Aviation Administration has required SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation into the 12th flight of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket, which experienced an off-nominal performance during its ascent phase. The investigation will be overseen by the FAA, which will also approve SpaceX’s final report and any corrective actions. The regulatory halt may impact SpaceX’s plans to deploy its Starlink Version 3 satellites in the back half of 2026. This development was first reported by Spaceflight Now.