The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States government has initiated an investigation into the explosion that occurred minutes after the launch of the Starship Super Heavy. SpaceX termed the mission an effective failure.
The US government has halted future launches of Starship Super Heavy following reports that the violent launch showered the region with potentially hazardous detritus, which may have harmed the local ecology and animals.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the explosion that occurred minutes after the launch of the Starship Super Heavy. SpaceX termed the mission an effective failure.
As the most powerful spacecraft in the world attempted to enter orbit for the first time, it ejected a cloud of dust and debris from its trajectory. Nearly 10 kilometres away from Elon Musk’s Starbase aerospace complex, residents of Port Isabel, Texas reportedly had launch-related dust cover their residences.
The FAA has stated, “The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship/Super Heavy test mission,” adding that the return to flight of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle is contingent on the FAA determining that no system, procedure, or practise linked to the mishap poses a threat to the public.
The debris was found strewn across the beaches of Boca Chica, which serve as a breeding site for several endangered species, including birds and sea turtles.
Before exploding, the rocket ship ascended to a height of 39 kilometres after leaving the earth. Photos of the aftermath revealed that the thirty Raptor engines created a crater several feet deep and launched large chunks of reinforced concrete thousands of feet into the air.
According to Elon Musk, the company has begun construction on a massive, water-cooled steel plate that will be placed beneath the launch platform to absorb the impact and blast wave from the rockets.