Key information
- The SpaceX Starship rocket experienced an in-flight breakup minutes after launch from Texas.
- Commercial flights were diverted or delayed to avoid potential debris over the Gulf of Mexico.
- A preliminary assessment suggests that an internal leak caused a pressure increase, causing the rocket to disintegrate.
A SpaceX Starship rocket experienced a mid-flight disintegration minutes after launching from Texas on Thursday. The incident prompted airlines operating over the Gulf of Mexico to adjust their flight paths to avoid potential debris. This failure marks a setback for Elon Musk’s ambitious space exploration program.
SpaceX lost communication with the upgraded craft, which carries mock satellites but no crew, about eight minutes after liftoff. Videos captured orange lights streaking across the sky above Port-au-Prince, Haiti, leaving trails of smoke in their wake. SpaceX confirmed the loss of communication and attributed it to an anomaly involving the upper stage. This is what Reuters reports.
The impact on air traffic
The last recorded failure of a Starship upper stage occurred in March 2022 during atmospheric reentry over the Indian Ocean. However, this incident is notable for its impact on air traffic, as many commercial flights were diverted or delayed to avoid potential debris. Flight tracking data revealed that departures from airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, experienced a delay of approximately 45 minutes.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), responsible for regulating private launch activities, briefly set up diversions and slowed air traffic in the area where the debris was falling. Normal operations have since resumed. The FAA regularly closes airspace during launches and reentries, but may establish “debris response zones” to prevent aircraft from entering if a space vehicle encounters an anomaly outside the designated area.
Potential consequences
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the failure on X, sharing a video of the debris field and saying, “Success is uncertain, but fun is guaranteed!” » A preliminary assessment by SpaceX suggests that an internal leak of liquid oxygen fuel caused a pressure increase, causing the rocket to disintegrate. The FAA will likely open an investigation into the accident, potentially grounding the Starship pending repairs and examining whether debris landed in populated areas outside the designated danger zone.
-The incident jeopardizes Musk’s goal of conducting at least twelve Starship tests this year, depending on SpaceX’s ability to implement corrective measures and the results of the FAA investigation. Musk said he plans the next launch in the coming month.
Musk’s criticism of the FAA
Musk has frequently criticized the FAA for what he perceives as overreach and politically motivated decisions, even calling for former FAA chief Mike Whitaker to resign in September 2023. Thursday’s mission was the seventh test of SpaceX’s Starship since 2023, part of Musk’s multibillion-dollar venture to develop a rocket capable of carrying humans and cargo to Mars and deploying large constellations of satellites.
Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to its launch pad approximately seven minutes after liftoff, as planned. It slowed its descent by restarting its Raptor engines and attached itself to giant mechanical arms attached to the launch tower.
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