Elon Musk-led SpaceX was not at all disappointed with the failure of the maiden test flight of Starship and looked fully geared up for the next test launch but every plan for the next launch need to be put on hold till the federal aviation administration (FAA) completes investigation into the failed test launch. Elon Musk and his team were ecstatic that Starship cleared the launch tower without causing any severe damage to the launch pad and survived Max Q. But after 4 minutes of the launch, Starship exploded over the Gulf of Mexico as the flight termination system had to be activated. SpaceX may regard this test flight as a successful failure but for FAA this is a mishap worth investigating.

FAA has forbidden any future launch of Starship till the mishap investigation of the failed test launch of Starship on 20^th April 2023 is concluded. The maiden test flight of Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever built by man, was held with great fanfare on 20^th April 2023. The ill-fated flight of Starship started at 9.33 am ET by creating a crater at the Launchpad and ended about 4 minutes later with an explosion. This ill-fated flight was not regarded as an abject failure by SpaceX people though.

They seemed to be in a celebratory mood even after this two-staged launch vehicle of theirs exploded over the Gulf of Mexico before stage separation. They were seen cheering up when Starship cleared the launch tower and again when it survived Max Q.

Neither Elon Musk nor his team seemed overtly disappointed after the flight termination system had to be activated resulting in the explosion of Starship over the Gulf of Mexico. Within four minutes of the launch, it became amply clear that everything was not going as per the plan. At least six of the 33 raptor engines of the super heavy rocket booster failed and the rocket booster and Starship spacecraft failed to separate as per the schedule. Once it became obvious that stage separation failure has occurred, no flight termination system had to be activated.

Flight termination system activation ended the maiden voyage of Starship and also ensured public safety. Till now no evidence of any major implications for public safety has been found but still, no further launches of Starship will be allowed till the completion of the mishap investigation by the FAA into this failed 20^th April test flight. This is standard practice.