FAA grounds SpaceX Starship, reports property damage in Caribbean
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SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. Eric Gay | AP The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that SpaceX’s Starship rocket is grounded until the company and regulator complete an investigation into the midflight failure of the most recent test flight, which forced airlines to divert flights. The regulator noted in a statement that, while there have been “no reports of public injury,” it has received “reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos” islands in the Caribbean. SpaceX must complete the investigation and put in place any required corrective actions before the FAA issues the company with a new license to launch Starship again. The FAA diverted and delayed dozens of commercial airline flights – including several operated by American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines – after the Starship rocket exploded and rained down debris minutes after launching on Thursday. SpaceX said in a statement that it believes a fire in the vehicle led to Starship breaking apart. Videos posted on social media by people in the region showed the rocket detonating in space. Orange balls of light fly across the sky as debris from a SpaceX rocket launched in Texas is spotted over Turks and Caicos Islands, January 16, 2025 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Marcus Haworth@marcusahaworth | Marcus Haworth Via Reuters Notably, the FAA says it activated a “Debris Response Area” to warn aircraft of debris falling “outside of the identified closed aircraft hazard areas.” Before rocket launches, the FAA publishes “Aircraft Hazard Areas” that tell pilots where debris may fall if something goes wrong mid-launch. A map of the “aircraft hazard areas” published before SpaceX’s seventh Starship flight. Federal Aviation Administration SpaceX initially published a statement…
Filed under: News - @ January 17, 2025 7:20 pm