Before last Thursday's launch, SpaceX warned that its Starship rocket was likely to explode—but the company did not predict that the launch would obliterate the launchpad, causing particulate matter to spread over a much wider area than expected. As is standard practice, the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded the Starship Super Heavy launch program while it carries out a "mishap investigation," CNBC reports. Researchers are investigating the effects on people and wildlife of the dust that fell as far from the launchpad as the town of Port Isabel, six miles away. The Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX facility is surrounded by protected land that serves as habitat for vulnerable species.
Starship, the biggest rocket ever built, was launched without safety measures like a flame trench or water suppression system as seen at NASA launch sites, Gizmodo reports. Earlier this month, environmental impact expert Eric Roesche called the FAA's decision to issue a license for the launch "foolish and reckless," noting at his blog that no other large rocket complex in the world lacked the energy suppression measures SpaceX had failed to build. He said SpaceX may have decided against building the extra infrastructure because gaining approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers could have taken months or years, Quartz reports.
"The FAA is providing oversight to ensure SpaceX complies with its FAA-approved mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements," a spokesperson tells Quartz. "The FAA will review, and must approve, the final report before the mishap investigation can be closed." SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said the site could be ready for another launch in a month or two, but experts consider that timeline very optimistic. Quartz notes that the debris thrown up by destroyed concrete at the launch pad may have contributed to the rocket's failure four minutes after launch. (More SpaceX stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
