In a recent statement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that they took action to ensure the safety of aircraft in the vicinity where space vehicle debris was falling. The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the affected area until the situation was resolved.
According to the FAA's statement released at 7:48 p.m. ET, normal operations have now resumed following the incident. The FAA's protocol includes activating a 'Debris Response Area' in the event of rockets or spacecraft disintegrating or exploding outside of designated safety zones.
During rocket launches, regulatory bodies issue warnings to air and maritime traffic to steer clear of the launch site. However, in the case of the Starship incident, the vehicle broke apart relatively late in its flight path, approximately 10 minutes after takeoff.
At the time of the disintegration, the Starship had already reached an altitude of 90 miles (146 kilometers) and was traveling at a speed of 13,200 miles per hour (21,317 kilometers per hour) based on the last telemetry data provided by SpaceX.
