The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported that an explosion during a SpaceX Starship test disrupted approximately 240 flights yesterday.
The incident, which marked the second consecutive explosion of a SpaceX test launch, led to widespread delays and diversions as safety protocols were activated due to concerns over space debris.
According to FAA data, ground stops were issued for flights departing from four Florida airports—Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Palm Beach. The disruption resulted in 171 departure delays with an average delay of 28 minutes, 28 flights were diverted, and 40 airborne flights were held for an average of 22 minutes while the agency’s Debris Response Area was active.
In addition to the immediate operational impact, the FAA has directed SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle. The agency confirmed that, while reviewing SpaceX’s license application and preliminary findings from its investigation into the previous Starship failure, it approved the launch license for this test flight last month.
Social media footage captured fiery debris streaking across the skies near South Florida and the Bahamas, while live streams from SpaceX showed the Starship vehicle breaking up in space shortly after entering an uncontrolled spin and cutting off its engines.
The eighth test flight’s explosive failure comes just over a month after the seventh test met a similar fate, marking a setback for a program that CEO Elon Musk has been keen to accelerate. Despite the setback, Musk described the incident as “a minor setback” on Friday and stated on his social media platform X, “Progress is measured by time. The next ship will be ready in 4 to 6 weeks.” The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket system is a key component of Musk’s ambitious plans to send humans to Mars in the near future.
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