The Federal Aviation Administration is temporarily halting future Starship launches from SpaceX after the latest test flight caused debris to rain down over the Atlantic Ocean.
Although the test flight successfully took off on Thursday and led to the booster rocket’s return to Earth, the Starship vehicle itself broke apart as it tried to reach orbit. The result caused a cluster of debris to burn through the atmosphere, which some internet users caught on video.
The incident prompted the FAA to activate emergency measures and alert surrounding aircraft about the risk of falling space debris across the Bahamas.
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“During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location,” the FAA said on Friday. “Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas.”
On Thursday, Flightrader24, a website that tracks flight delays, also reported commercial planes in the area “holding or diverting.” So far, the FAA has received no reports of injuries from the debris. But footage has circulated online, showing that some of the plummeting Starship scrap may have fallen over the Turks and Caicos Islands and even damaged a car.
“The FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos,” the agency said in a Friday statement.
In addition, the FAA is requiring SpaceX to conduct a “mishap investigation,” which will postpone further test flights until the agency determines the vehicle is safe to fly again.
Thursday’s test flight was supposed to advance SpaceX’s progress on both Starship and the company’s next-generation Starlink satellites, which promise to deliver gigabit speeds. Earlier this month, SpaceX revealed the Starship craft would carry and attempt to deploy 10 mock Starlink satellites with the goal of deploying real V3 Starlink satellites in future flights.
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But during Thursday’s test, SpaceX said it lost communications with the Starship vehicle after it successfully separated from the booster rocket. The vehicle then broke apart during its ascent burn, the company said.
“Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity,” CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet.
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But despite the malfunction, Musk is optimistic SpaceX will be able to hold another Starship test flight in the coming weeks, pending FAA clearance of the mishap investigation. “Apart from obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that volume and probably increase vent area. Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month,” he said.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
