SpaceX Starship Rocket Breaks Apart, Disrupting Air Traffic

SpaceX mission control lost contact with the upgraded Starship about eight minutes after its 5:38 p.m. EST (2238 GMT) liftoff from South Texas, carrying a payload of mock satellites but no crew.

“We did lose all communications with the ship—that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage,” SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot stated. He later confirmed the loss of the vehicle.

Eyewitness video captured orange streaks of light over Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as debris cascaded through the sky, leaving smoky trails.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported that dozens of commercial flights were diverted or delayed, with Miami and Fort Lauderdale departures pushed back by about 45 minutes.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), responsible for regulating private launch activities, confirmed rerouting air traffic temporarily to avoid falling debris before resuming normal operations.

This marked the first significant disruption to air travel caused by a SpaceX anomaly, though similar mishaps have occurred during reentries, notably a failure in March 2023 over the Indian Ocean.

Mission Goals and Setback

The Starship upper stage tested Thursday, standing 2 meters taller than its predecessors, represented a new-generation design with upgraded capabilities. It was intended for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, roughly an hour post-launch.

SpaceX’s preliminary assessment blamed the breakup on an internal liquid oxygen leak that increased pressure, according to Musk. The FAA may open a mishap investigation, which could temporarily ground future launches and examine debris fallout impacts.

Musk, who aims for at least 12 Starship tests this year, expressed optimism despite the setback. “Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month,” he stated.

The launch coincided with Blue Origin’s successful orbiting of its New Glenn rocket, underscoring the competitive nature of private space exploration.

History and Program Development

Thursday's mission was the seventh Starship test since 2023, a crucial part of Musk’s multibillion-dollar vision for Mars colonization and large satellite deployments.

While SpaceX has embraced a "test-to-failure" approach in its engineering, this failure occurred in a phase it had previously mastered.

On a brighter note, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launchpad, executing a complex maneuver using its Raptor engines and catching onto launch tower arms.

As SpaceX navigates regulatory reviews and technical fixes, the setback raises questions about its ambitious testing schedule and further elevates the stakes for future missions.