Starship Grounded Until Launch Destruction Probed

The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Starship program while it investigates last week's explosive test launch of the full system. This time, however, 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 won't be allowed to try again until it's 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 Thursday's 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 wasn't 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 hadn't quite finished the launch pad. “3 months ago, we started building a massive water-cooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount. Wasn’t ready in time & we wrongly thought, based on static fire data, that Fondag would make it through 1 launch," he tweeted. "Looks like we can be ready to launch again in 1 to 2 months.”