SpaceX's test launch of its Starship rocket lit 3.5 acres, including land belonging to the neighboring Boca Chica State Park, on fire.
, for instance, that the Elon Musk-led company launched its rocket without a flame diverter or trench to redirect the rocket's exhaust.SpaceX started building a "massive water-cooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount," but that it "wasn't ready in time."
In other words, there's a decent chance at least some of the damage to the surrounding area could've been avoided had SpaceX done its homework. The Federal Aviation Administration has since grounded Starship until it can confirm that "any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety," according to a statementWhether the space company will have learned its lesson before it tries to get its Starship orbital again — or if regulators even let it try again — remains to be seen.
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SpaceX Starship launch under FAA investigation after raining potentially hazardous debris on homes and beachesBen Turner is a U.K. based staff writer at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, among other topics like weird animals and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys reading literature, playing the guitar and embarrassing himself with chess.
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