LOS ANGELES - The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it required SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation following the loss of its Starship vehicle during Thursday's launch operations.

SpaceX conducted the seventh test flight of its giant Starship rocket on Thursday. However, according to the company's initial review, the spacecraft experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" shortly after liftoff.

There are no reports of public injuries, the FAA noted, adding it is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage in Turks and Caicos.

A mishap investigation is designed to improve public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to prevent it from happening again, said the FAA.

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The agency added that it will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led investigation process and must approve SpaceX's final report, including any corrective measures.

A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.