USA: SpaceX Starship rocket grounded pending probe

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded SpaceX's prototype Starship rocket and ordered Elon Musk's company to conduct a "mishap investigation" before it can resume operations.

The spaceship dramatically disintegrated over the Caribbean on Thursday, undergoing what the company called "rapid unscheduled disassembly." In other words, a massive explosion.

What did the aviation agency say?

In a statement, the FAA said it was "working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on [the islands of] Turks and Caicos."

Earlier on Friday, Musk said preliminary indications are that leaking fuel built up pressure in the cavity above the engine firewall, causing the Starship to break apart during liftoff and expel trails of flaming debris.

Dramatic video taken near the Turks and Caicos Islands showed spacecraft debris raining down from the sky in a stream of fireballs.

The FAA said it briefly activated a "Debris Response Area" protocol to slow aircraft outside the area where the debris was falling, or stop aircraft at their departure location.

"Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas," it said.

SpaceX has promised "a thorough investigation" in coordination with the FAA.

Starship is the biggest, most powerful rocket ever built, and is key to Musk's ambitions of colonizing Mars. 

NASA also hopes to use a modified version of the rocket as a human lunar lander for its Artemis missions to return to the Moon. 

mf/rc (AFP, AP)