SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Grounded After Midflight Failure
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded SpaceX’s Starship rocket until the company and regulator complete an investigation into the midflight failure of the most recent test flight. The failure forced airlines to divert flights and caused public property damage on the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean.
The FAA received reports of public property damage on the islands, but there have been no reports of public injury. The regulator has activated a “Debris Response Area” to warn aircraft of debris falling outside of the identified closed aircraft hazard areas.
SpaceX believes a fire in the vehicle led to Starship breaking apart, and debris from the rocket was spotted over the Turks and Caicos Islands. The FAA published “Aircraft Hazard Areas” before the launch, which told pilots where debris may fall if something goes wrong midlaunch.
The FAA has not yet issued a new license to launch Starship again, and SpaceX must complete the investigation and put in place any required corrective actions before the license is issued. The company’s website initially stated that debris fell into the Atlantic Ocean within the predefined hazard areas, but this language has been removed from the statement.
The FAA’s information is preliminary and subject to change, and the regulator has not confirmed whether Starship debris landed outside the predefined hazard area. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.