Elon Musk's Space Dreams On Hold? SpaceX Starship Explosion Attracts FAA Probe

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has commenced an investigation of SpaceX’s Starship after its explosion last week.

What Happened: FAA will oversee the “mishap investigation” of the Starship, the agency said in a statement. Until the FAA ascertains that the mishap does not affect public safety, Starship cannot fly again.

“An anomaly occurred during the ascent and prior to stage separation resulting in a loss of the vehicle. No injuries or public property damage have been reported,” FAA noted about the launch and subsequent explosion.

SpaceX conducted the first test launch of Starship last Thursday. The rocket exploded in less than four minutes after take-off, damaging the launch pad at Starbase and raining down dust on the residents of Port Isabel, Texas.

See Also: Best Online Stock Brokers for 2023

Why It Matters: The FAA investigation will identify the cause of the mishap and recommend measures to avoid a recurrence. It may be completed in a few weeks or take several months depending on the circumstances, the Federal agency says on its website.

However, Musk on Saturday said that the Starship could be ready to launch again in 1 to 2 months after the damage at the Starbase launch site is repaired.

Touted as "the biggest rocket ever", Starship is a major part of Musk’s dreams of making life "multi-planetary“. In 2020, Musk said that he would send a million people to Mars by 2050 aboard Starship.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Read Next: Bill Maher To Put Elon Musk In The Hot Seat Over SpaceX Mars Mission