May 22 (UPI) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the launch of SpaceX's Starship 9 after two mission mishaps idled the program for months.
"The FAA conducted a comprehensive safety review of the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap and determined that the company has satisfactorily addressed the causes of the mishap, and, therefore, the Starship vehicle can return to flight," the FAA said in a statement.
The FAA said it took several factors into account when clearing the Starship for a return to space, including public safety, unplanned debris and the performance of the craft's "safety-critical" systems.
It mandated that SpaceX have a $550 million insurance policy to cover a potential hazard area that stretches 1,600 miles from the Starbase, Texas, launch site through the Straits of Florida, including the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos. The Starship 7 mission in January exploded minutes after launch, sending flaming debris raining into the Gulf of Mexico.
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