The incident occurred at 5:38 p.m. EST (2238 GMT) when SpaceX mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship during its test flight. The rocket, carrying its first payload of mock satellites but no crew, disintegrated eight minutes after liftoff from SpaceX's South Texas launch facilities.
Fiery debris was spotted streaking across the skies of the Caribbean, with videos shared online showing orange trails over Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
'We did lose all communications with the shipâ€"that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage,' said SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot. Minutes later, SpaceX confirmed the rocket's loss.
The exact moment Starship Exploded. Filmed from a cruise ship. https://t.co/dhRxfxIABt pic.twitter.com/5cd6G2r7ED
â€" Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) January 16, 2025
The disruption extended beyond the launch site, as dozens of commercial flights were forced to divert or alter their routes to avoid the debris field.
At Miami International Airport, some flights were temporarily grounded, according to eyewitness accounts.
Data from FlightRadar24 indicated that air traffic across the region had been rerouted, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a brief airspace restriction.
The FAA, responsible for regulating private space activities, stated that normal operations had resumed shortly after the debris cleared. The agency regularly closes airspace for rocket launches and reentries but expands these closures if anomalies occur.
Elon Musk responded to the incident with characteristic optimism, posting on X: 'Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!'
Preliminary assessments from SpaceX pointed to an internal liquid oxygen fuel leak as the cause of the rocket's failure.
The mishap comes amid fierce competition in the private space race.
A day earlier, Blue Origin, founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Glenn rocket into orbit for the first time. SpaceX's Starshipâ€"standing 2 meters taller in its latest versionâ€"was designed with significant upgrades for long-distance space missions, including Mars exploration and satellite deployment.
Despite the setback, Musk has reiterated his commitment to an aggressive testing schedule, aiming for up to 12 Starship flights this year. He downplayed the potential for significant delays, stating that 'nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month.'
However, the FAA's forthcoming mishap investigation could affect timelines, especially if debris is found outside designated zones or near populated areas.
Thursday's test marked the seventh Starship flight since 2023, as part of SpaceX's test-to-failure approach. While the method has resulted in high-profile failures, it has been instrumental in advancing the engineering limits of reusable rockets. The explosion, however, occurred during a mission phase that SpaceX had successfully completed in prior tests.
The towering Super Heavy booster, a crucial part of the Starship system, performed flawlessly, returning to its launchpad seven minutes after liftoff. The booster executed a controlled descent by reigniting its Raptor engines and latching onto giant mechanical arms affixed to the launch towerâ€"a bright spot in an otherwise troubled mission.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/airlines-diverted-as-spacex-starship-explodes-during-flight-test
