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A high-stakes agreement between SpaceX and the Bahamas to allow Falcon 9 rocket boosters to land in Bahamian waters has been put on hold following political tensions and environmental concerns.
The suspension came two months after the first and only booster landed off the Exuma coast — and just weeks after a Starship rocket exploded mid-flight, scattering debris on Bahamian islands.
“While no toxic materials were detected and no significant environmental impact was reported, the incident prompted a reevaluation of our engagement with SpaceX,” said Chequita Johnson, Acting Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas.
The original agreement, signed in February 2024 by Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, was reportedly pushed through without consulting several key government ministers, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Though no laws were broken, the move caused internal frustration.
SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. Cooper also declined to answer questions about how the deal was arranged.
In exchange for access to its territorial waters, the Bahamas received various incentives.
According to three sources, SpaceX offered complimentary Starlink internet terminals for the country’s defence vessels. The Bahamian military, which operates roughly a dozen vessels, did not comment on the arrangement, and the value of the deal was not disclosed.
Additionally, SpaceX pledged a $1 million donation to the University of the Bahamas and promised to host quarterly seminars on space and engineering.
The company also agreed to pay $100,000 per booster landing under newly enacted Bahamian space regulations.
The Starship explosion on 6 March during a test flight intensified public unease.
The rocket self-destructed nine and a half minutes after launching from Texas, and debris washed ashore on several Bahamian islands.
“I have no strong dislike for the exploration of space, but I do have concerns about the sovereignty of my nation’s airspace,” said Arana Pyfrom, Assistant Director at the Bahamas’ Department of Environmental Planning and Protection.
“The Starship explosion just strengthened opposition to make sure we could answer all these questions.”
Matthew Bastian, a retired Canadian engineer vacationing near Ragged Island, witnessed the Starship explosion from his sailboat.
“My initial reaction was ‘wow that is so cool,’ then reality hit me – I could have a huge chunk of rocket debris crash down on me and sink my boat!” he said.
“Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but one day it could happen to someone.”
Within days of the explosion, SpaceX deployed helicopters, speedboats, and sonar equipment to recover debris.
Locals said the wreckage was hauled from the sea and loaded onto a larger SpaceX vessel typically used to retrieve rocket fairings.
The company’s vice president of launch, Kiko Dontchev, reassured local reporters that Starship was entirely different from Falcon 9 boosters scheduled to land off the Exuma coast.
Joe Darville, chairman of environmental group Save The Bays, criticised both the fallout from the Starship explosion and the secretive nature of the Falcon 9 agreement.
“Something like that should have never been made without consultation of the people in the Bahamas,” he said.
Bahamian officials are currently reviewing SpaceX’s environmental report and considering updates to the country’s space reentry regulations.
Two officials said Falcon 9 landings may resume later this summer if the revised processes are approved.
Pyfrom said the review aims to show “where we fell short, and what we need to improve on.”
Despite the diplomatic setback, SpaceX is pushing forward. Musk said earlier this month that the next Starship launch is expected within three weeks.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Vietnam's most devastating storm this year brought heavy rains that triggered floods across its north, disrupting flights and train services with the capital, Hanoi, where schools were closed and many homes inundated, authorities said on Tuesday.
Türkiye has joined Spain, Italy and Greece in monitoring an international flotilla carrying aid for Gaza that was sailing east across the Mediterranean Sea on Monday despite warnings from Israel to stop the mission, flight data show.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponents appeared to make little progress at a White House meeting aimed at heading off a government shutdown that could disrupt a wide range of services as soon as Wednesday.
Indonesian rescuers were racing on Tuesday to find 38 people feared trapped beneath the rubble of an Islamic boarding school that collapsed in East Java during afternoon prayers, killing three, according to disaster officials.
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