Starship explosion poses risk to passenger flights

(MENAFN) SpaceX’s Starship test-flight explosion earlier this year reportedly created a greater threat to passenger aircraft than was previously disclosed, according to FAA documents reviewed by news outlets. The incident forced some planes to declare fuel emergencies while air-traffic controllers intervened to prevent possible mid-air collisions.

The rocket, launched from SpaceX’s Texas facility on January 16, failed during its flight and disintegrated, sending burning debris across the sky. At the time, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk remarked, “success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”

FAA records indicate that debris from the explosion “rained fiery fragments across parts of the Caribbean region for roughly 50 minutes,” with officials warning that any strike on an aircraft could have caused catastrophic damage or loss of life.

SpaceX criticized the reporting as “misleading,” claiming that journalists were “clearly spoon-fed incomplete and misleading information from detractors with ulterior motives.” In a post on X, the company emphasized that safety remains a top priority and maintained that no aircraft were endangered, noting that any debris remained within pre-coordinated zones set by the US Space Force and overseen by the FAA.

According to FAA documents, a JetBlue flight heading to Puerto Rico was alerted to approaching hazardous airspace and instructed to enter a holding pattern, with controllers later telling the crew that proceeding would be “at your own risk.” Another report described two planes flying dangerously close, prompting controller action to avoid a potential collision.

Controllers reportedly labeled the situation a “potential extreme safety risk.” Following fuel emergencies, the affected flights—including the JetBlue plane, an Iberia passenger flight, and a private jet carrying roughly 450 people in total—navigated the temporarily restricted airspace and landed safely.

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