STARSHIP GROUNDED UNTIL DESTRUCTION AFTER ITS LAUNCH HAS BEEN PROBED

The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Starship programme while it investigates last month's explosive test launch of the full system. However, this time the agency appears to be at least as interested in the scorched mess left behind by the booster as it is the explosion that was triggered a few minutes later when the second stage failed to separate from the main booster. The agency told CNBC that SpaceX will not be allowed to try again until it is satisfied 'any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.'

The FAA and other departments are now trying to figure out if the Thursday20 April 2023 attempt harmed people, animals and the environment in general. The main concern is whether the massive dust plume that erupted when the 33 rockets on the booster blew the launch pad to pieces contained toxic particles that settled over a wide area. Any 'anomaly' with the launch was not supposed spread debris more than a mile from the pad but residents of Port Isabel and South Padre Island, about six miles away, reported their property coated in dust and ash.

After the launch attempt, SpaceX CEO took to his Twitter site to explain that they had not quite finished the launch pad. "Three months ago, we started building a massive watercooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount. This was not ready in time and we wrongly thought, based on static fire data, that Fondag would make it through one launch, "he tweeted. Looks like we can be ready to launch again in one to two months."

AT LEAST IT DID NOT BLOW UP ON THE PAD

If you could somehow tune your eyes to see the electromagnetic spectrum while watching this spectacular launch of SpaceX's Super Heavy / Starship, you would see fat ropes of O's and 1's streaming back to earth and therein lies the explanation of why the thing blew up four minutes into the flight and the solution to fixing it so there won't be a repeat. Or at least one that blows up at a different point.

The launch was deemed a success by SpaceX and if so, it was not an unqualified one. Elon Musk lead turned the outcome earlier in the week. "I would like to set expectations low," he said. "If we get far enough away from the launchpad before something goes wrong, I think I would consider that a success. Just do not blow up the launchpad."