US Govt Grounds Elon Musk’s Starship For Raining Metal Debris

Washington: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US government has grounded SpaceX Starship programme pending a mishap investigation.

The Starship Super Heavy’s futile violent launch resulted in potentially hazardous debris raining down from above, which could have endangered local environment and wildlife.

FAA has initiated an inquiry into the launch of Starship Super Heavy, which exploded minutes after it lifted off.

FAA and other departments are trying to figure out if last week’s attempt harmed people, animals and the environment.

The investigation is likely to take several months to complete and require an extensive remediation plan before being allowed to launch again.

The world’s most powerful spacecraft exploded into a smoke of dust and debris soon after it made a maiden attempt to go into orbit last week.

Dust from the launch rained down on residents in Port Isabel, Texas, about 10 km from Musk’s aerospace facility dubbed Starbase.

Debris were found strewn across Boca Chica’s beaches in Texas, a nesting place for endangered species, including birds and sea turtles.