The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy launch program. Elon Musk’s largest spaceship will have no further flights pending an investigation by the federal agency.
The investigation stems from the April 20 launch, when the largest rocket ever built blasted into the air, then blew up mid-flight. No crew was on board and Musk had predicted the rocket had a likely chance of exploding.
Upon takeoff, the launch pad itself exploded, slinging chunks of concrete within the vicinity. According to the pre-launch assessment, SpaceX did not predict that happening.
The debris that came trickling down from the skies after the rocket explosion is now being assessed to see if the materials are hazardous.
The debris was found spread out further than what was expected by SpaceX, including ash and sand-like particulate matter found in the air after launch that made its way too close to communities.
The FAA’s investigation is said to be standard protocol. While the Starship program, which Musk wants to use to get people to Mars, is on pause, other SpaceX rockets are still free to fly. The Falcon Heavy is still expected to launch a satellite into space April 26.
