SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship lifts off for a check flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
Eric Homosexual | AP
The Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted flights to a number of Florida airports on Thursday night time after a SpaceX Starship testing failure.
The incident marks the second time this yr that SpaceX experienced a mishap throughout a flight check of Starship leading to particles raining down and business flights disrupted.
Affected airports included Miami Worldwide Airport, which is an American Airlines hub, and airports serving Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Seashore, and Orlando, Florida.
The regulator stated, in an announcement on Thursday, it’s now requiring SpaceX to “carry out a mishap investigation into the lack of the Starship automobile throughout launch operations on March 6.”
Throughout the occasion, the FAA stated, it “activated a Particles Response Space and briefly slowed plane outdoors the world the place area automobile particles was falling or stopped plane at their departure location. Regular operations have resumed.”
SpaceX stated, in a put up on X on Thursday night time: “Throughout Starship’s ascent burn, the automobile skilled a speedy unscheduled disassembly and phone was misplaced. Our crew instantly started coordination with security officers to implement pre-planned contingency responses.”
The Elon Musk-led aerospace and protection contractor additionally stated it plans to “evaluate the info from right now’s flight check to raised perceive” the foundation reason behind the mishap.
Starship took off from the corporate’s spaceport close to Brownsville, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. ET for its eighth check flight.
In a livestream displaying the check flight, a number of engines appeared to chop out because the upper-stage Starship automobile was nonetheless climbing. The corporate then misplaced communication with the spacecraft however was in a position to efficiently use the arms of its launch tower to catch the rocket’s Tremendous Heavy Booster.
On Jan. 16, dozens of flights had been diverted after SpaceX’s Starship rocket broke up, and the FAA warned of “area automobile particles” falling. The regulator had warned pilots of “harmful space for falling particles of rocket Starship.”
Industrial airways, non-public planes and the area business compete for airspace, notably within the congested space off of Florida.
SpaceX was engaged on a mishap investigation into what prompted the sooner incident however was allowed by the FAA to proceed with the eighth check flight earlier than finishing the inquiry.
SpaceX didn’t instantly reply to a request for additional info.
The tallest and strongest rocket ever launched, Starship is crucial to SpaceX’s ambitions. When it’s stacked on the Tremendous Heavy booster, Starship stands 403 toes tall and is about 30 toes in diameter.
SpaceX founder Musk can be a senior Trump advisor, tasked by the president with making sweeping cuts to authorities businesses. His attain into regulatory businesses, together with the FAA, has drawn criticism and concern from Democratic lawmakers frightened about conflicts of curiosity, safety dangers and extra.
