Enlarge / A discolored plume of exhaust was visible beneath the Super Heavy booster's Raptor engines on the Starship rocket's April 20 test flight, a likely indication of a propellant leak or fire in the engine compartment. (credit: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images )

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it has closed an investigation into the problems SpaceX encountered on its first full-scale Starship test launch in April, but federal regulators won't yet give a green light for the next Starship flight.

"The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of Starship launches at Boca Chica," the FAA said in a statement, referring to the location of SpaceX's Starship launch facility at Boca Chica Beach in South Texas.

The nearly 400-foot-tall Starship rocket, the largest ever built, is standing on its launch pad in Texas for the upcoming test flight, which could happen before the end of this month, pending FAA approval.

Enlarge / SpaceX's Starship rocket lost control a few minutes after launch from South Texas on April 20. (credit: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images )

The Federal Aviation Administration is now reviewing a mishap investigation report submitted by SpaceX regarding the company's April test flight of its giant Starship rocket, a spokesperson for the regulatory agency said Tuesday.

The milestone is noteworthy because it signals SpaceX has completed its investigation into the Starship test launch on April 20 , which ended about four minutes after liftoff following engine failures and other problems during ascent. Now comes the FAA's review of SpaceX's investigation, fulfilling the agency's role as the regulator charged with ensuring public safety during commercial launch operations.

"When a final mishap report is approved, it will identify the corrective actions SpaceX must make," an FAA spokesperson told Ars. "Separately, SpaceX must modify its license to incorporate those actions before receiving authorization to launch again.