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The United States Government has grounded the SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy for future launches: Elon Musk owned
27 Apr 2023
Large pieces of concrete are shown near SpaceX's launchpad after their next-generation Starship and super heavy rocket launched, causing damage at the company's Boca Chica facility, near Brownsville, (REUTERS)
The 20 April rocket launch severely damaged the launch pad, sending concrete, steel and other objects thousands of feet into the air.
The United States Government has grounded the Starship Super Heavy for future launches. This move was taken up after reports emerged that the explosive launch rained down hazardous debris which could potentially endanger the local environment and wildlife.
According to reports, the Federal Aviation Administration of the US government has initiated an inquiry into the launch of the Starship Super Heavy, which exploded minutes after it lifted off. The mission was termed a successful failure by SpaceX.
"The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship/Super Heavy test mission," FAA has said adding that a return to flight of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety."
Elon Musk’s company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., launched the next-generation deep space rocket system on its first major test flight from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. While the rocket successfully cleared its launch tower and climbed to an altitude of 39 kilometers, the vehicle eventually spun out of control and SpaceX said it was forced to blow it up in the sky for public safety.
“Although no debris was documented on refuge fee-owned lands, staff documented approximately 385 acres (156 hectares) of debris on SpaceX’s facility and at Boca Chica State Park," US federal agency said, adding that a “plume cloud of pulverized concrete" deposited material up to 6.5 miles northwest of the pad site. It said it has found no evidence of dead birds or wildlife.
The debris was found strewn across Boca Chica's beaches, which are a nesting place for several endangered species, including birds and sea turtles.
Musk tweeted last week that SpaceX had started building “a massive water-cooled, steel plate" to go under the launch mount to lessen the impact from Starship’s engines, but that it hadn’t been ready in time. He said in the same post that he still expected to be ready to launch in one to two months.
He suggested it would be ready for installation before the next launch attempt "in 1 to 2 months."
The FAA, which regulates launch site safety and oversees technical investigations into commercial rocket mishaps, will need to sign off on changes to Starship's launchpad infrastructure before its next launch attempt. The latest SpaceX failure illustrated a rocket development culture at the company that embraces fast-paced tests and failures of prototypes that provide data to improve the vehicle's design.
The Fish and Wildlife Service, which last year recommended mitigation steps to ease the environmental impact of the launch, said Wednesday that it was coordinating with the FAA on a site assessment, post-launch recommendations and compliance with the Endangered Species Act.
www.livemint.com
27 Apr 2023
Large pieces of concrete are shown near SpaceX's launchpad after their next-generation Starship and super heavy rocket launched, causing damage at the company's Boca Chica facility, near Brownsville, (REUTERS)
- The Federal Aviation Administration of the US government has initiated an inquiry into the launch of the Starship Super Heavy, which exploded minutes after it lifted off
The 20 April rocket launch severely damaged the launch pad, sending concrete, steel and other objects thousands of feet into the air.
The United States Government has grounded the Starship Super Heavy for future launches. This move was taken up after reports emerged that the explosive launch rained down hazardous debris which could potentially endanger the local environment and wildlife.
According to reports, the Federal Aviation Administration of the US government has initiated an inquiry into the launch of the Starship Super Heavy, which exploded minutes after it lifted off. The mission was termed a successful failure by SpaceX.
"The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship/Super Heavy test mission," FAA has said adding that a return to flight of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety."
Elon Musk’s company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., launched the next-generation deep space rocket system on its first major test flight from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. While the rocket successfully cleared its launch tower and climbed to an altitude of 39 kilometers, the vehicle eventually spun out of control and SpaceX said it was forced to blow it up in the sky for public safety.
“Although no debris was documented on refuge fee-owned lands, staff documented approximately 385 acres (156 hectares) of debris on SpaceX’s facility and at Boca Chica State Park," US federal agency said, adding that a “plume cloud of pulverized concrete" deposited material up to 6.5 miles northwest of the pad site. It said it has found no evidence of dead birds or wildlife.
The debris was found strewn across Boca Chica's beaches, which are a nesting place for several endangered species, including birds and sea turtles.
Musk tweeted last week that SpaceX had started building “a massive water-cooled, steel plate" to go under the launch mount to lessen the impact from Starship’s engines, but that it hadn’t been ready in time. He said in the same post that he still expected to be ready to launch in one to two months.
He suggested it would be ready for installation before the next launch attempt "in 1 to 2 months."
The FAA, which regulates launch site safety and oversees technical investigations into commercial rocket mishaps, will need to sign off on changes to Starship's launchpad infrastructure before its next launch attempt. The latest SpaceX failure illustrated a rocket development culture at the company that embraces fast-paced tests and failures of prototypes that provide data to improve the vehicle's design.
The Fish and Wildlife Service, which last year recommended mitigation steps to ease the environmental impact of the launch, said Wednesday that it was coordinating with the FAA on a site assessment, post-launch recommendations and compliance with the Endangered Species Act.
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