SpaceX's failed Starship mission Thursday caused the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily shut down some commercial flights due to debris raining down off the coast of Florida and in the Caribbean.
The FAA reported Thursday night it "briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling. Normal operations have resumed."
SpaceX confirmed the rocket suffered a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" in the test flight.
The statement came after dozens of flights were grounded as airborne pilots reported falling debris from the earlier rocket launch. Images online showed streaks of light falling from the sky.
FAA statement on SpaceX Starship anomaly: "The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling. Normal operations have resumed."
— Jonathan Serrie (@jonathanserrie) January 17, 2025
Preliminary reports show impacted flights stretching from the Florida coast to the Caribbean. There were other reports of cancelled flights from falling debris in other parts of the sky. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The incident comes hours after a failed mission by SpaceX, Elon Musk's space technology company, launched its seventh test flight on Thursday—then lost it.
About 20 minutes after successfully launching the rocket at its base in Brownsville, Texas, SpaceX engineers confirmed they had lost communication with the rocket's upper stage.
