SpaceX Starship explosion triggers FAA investigation

After the upper portion of the Starship system broke apart a few minutes after liftoff on Thursday

Author of the article:

Bloomberg News

Eric Johnson

Published Jan 17, 2025  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

SpaceX's mega rocket Starship launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Jan. 16, 2025. Photo by AP Photo/Eric Gay

U.S. air safety regulators ordered a formal investigation into the explosion of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, a decision that effectively grounds the Elon Musk company’s flagship new vehicle.

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There are no reports of public injury, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement on Friday. The agency is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.

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After the upper portion of the Starship system broke apart a few minutes after liftoff on Thursday, the FAA temporarily slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location, the agency said. Several planes requested to divert because of low fuel levels while flying in holding patterns outside impacted areas, it added.

The FAA will work with SpaceX as it identifies what went wrong and what steps it must take to fix it. As in previous probes triggered by SpaceX’s botched launches, the company leads the investigation and the agency approves its final report.

A SpaceX representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The company said on Thursday it will conduct a thorough investigation in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions. A data review was already underway, it added.

The latest flight from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas was the seventh test launch of Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. About 8 1/2 minutes into the mission, SpaceX lost communications with Starship. Launch commentators then said the vehicle had been “lost.” Musk later reposted a video on his social media site X of debris falling from the sky, saying “success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed.”

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Starship was supposed to attempt to reach near orbital speeds and deploy 10 dummy satellites as part of its first attempt to put cargo in space. Longer term, the launch system — comprised of Starship and its Super Heavy booster — are central to Musk’s ambitions to reach Mars.

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Commercial flights operated by JetBlue Airways Corp. and American Airlines Group Inc. were forced to take avoidance action. Some flights over the Caribbean were seen diverting or circling mid-flight on tracking website Flightradar24. Normal operations have since resumed.

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The fresh disruption came days after Qantas Airways Ltd. was forced to delay some flights between Australia and South Africa, heeding U.S. government warnings on other SpaceX rocket debris.

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