The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday that SpaceX’s Starship rocket will remain grounded until an investigation into the recent midflight failure is completed. This incident led to the diversion of flights by airlines. The FAA stated that there were no reports of public injuries but received reports of public property damage in the Turks and Caicos islands.
SpaceX is required to conduct a thorough investigation and implement necessary corrective measures before the FAA grants a new license for Starship launches. Following the rocket’s explosion during the test flight, the FAA had to divert and delay numerous commercial airline flights, including those by American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Delta Air Lines.
SpaceX suggested that a fire within the vehicle caused the breakup of the Starship. Videos shared on social media captured the rocket exploding in space. The FAA activated a “Debris Response Area” to alert aircraft of falling debris outside the closed aircraft hazard zones.
Before each rocket launch, the FAA issues “Aircraft Hazard Areas” to inform pilots of potential debris locations in case of a midlaunch failure. Initially, SpaceX’s statement indicated that the debris fell into the Atlantic Ocean within the hazard areas, but subsequent statements did not include this specific language. The FAA mentioned that their information is preliminary and subject to change, while SpaceX did not provide a comment in response to CNBC’s inquiry.
