Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship explodes after take-off, grounding flights at multiple airports due to ‘debris’
SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded after lift-off in Texas on Thursday, March 6. Credit: Brandon Bell / Getty
On Thursday (March 6), a live stream of the Texas launch captured the moment the spacecraft’s engines shut down roughly eight minutes into the ascent.
Before communication was lost, Starship appeared to spin out of control moments after the booster successfully returned to the tower.
“We just saw some engines go out. It looks like we are losing altitude control of the ship,” SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot explained during the webcast.
The explosion had a ripple effect beyond the launch site, temporarily grounding flights at several major airports, including Miami International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, and Philadelphia International, according to CNN and The Hill.
Smaller airports in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando were also affected, per CNBC.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by activating a Debris Response Area and briefly slowing or halting aircraft movement in affected regions.
Although normal operations have since resumed, the agency has ordered SpaceX to conduct a “mishap investigation” into the incident.
In a statement on X, the company confirmed that Starship experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its take-off, leading to contact loss.
“Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses,” the company stated, promising to analyze flight data to determine the root cause.
“As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship’s reliability,” SpaceX added.
A follow-up statement on the company’s website suggested that an “energetic event in the aft portion of Starship” led to the failure, causing multiple Raptor engines to go offline.
However, SpaceX reassured that any surviving debris fell within the pre-designated Debris Response Area.
Elon Musk has not addressed the fiery incident. Credit: Jared Siskin / Getty
Notably, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has yet to address the explosion. This marks the third time a Starship test has ended in disaster, with a previous failure in January sending debris raining over Turks and Caicos.
Following Thursday’s incident, the Turks and Caicos government issued a statement on Instagram confirming it was in contact with the FAA, SpaceX, and UK agency leads to determine the situation.
“Post-incident protocols have been engaged. The National Security Secretariat will continue to keep the public apprised as we work to ensure the safety and security of our Islands,” officials stated.
