Urgent radio calls to air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration office in Puerto Rico began going out Thursday evening as a SpaceX test flight exploded and debris began falling toward the Caribbean Sea.
Flights near Puerto Rico had to avoid passing through the area, or risk being hit by pieces of the spacecraft, Elon Musk’s newest and largest rocket.
“A spacecraft accident,” an FAA air traffic controller said. Radio systemSpectators on the islands below and even in some of the aircraft flying nearby saw bright streaks of light as parts of the spacecraft fell toward the ocean.
“We have reports of debris outside protected areas, so we will currently have to detain you in that airspace,” the second air traffic controller added.
The mishap — the Starship spacecraft exploding while it was still ascending into space — led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday to suspend any additional launches by SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
The accident raises new questions about the safety of the rapidly growing number of commercial space launches, or at least the air traffic disruption caused by them.
This is also the latest incident to highlight the conflicts that Elon Musk’s new role in the Trump administration will bring. It would have the authority to recommend changes, and possibly budget cuts, to government agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration. This tension could hamper investigations like the one announced on Friday.
Mr. Musk, who is preparing to travel to Washington for Mr. Trump’s inauguration, expressed confidence as of Thursday night that SpaceX would quickly resolve questions about the explosion and resume test flights.
“Nothing yet indicates that the next launch will be postponed until next month,” Mr Musk said. He wrote on it X social networking site.
Mr Musk also mocked the spectacle caused by the explosion, as debris fell towards the Turks and Caicos Islands. “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!” He wrote above a video of fiery debris falling towards the ground.
The explosion occurred after the spacecraft’s second stage – which is scheduled to carry cargo or even astronauts on their way to the moon during future missions – separated from the lower Super Heavy booster, and was flying at about 13,250 miles per hour, 90 miles above the surface. the moon. land.
The spacecraft had already launched its own rockets to complete the journey into orbit SpaceX ship tracking informationWhich indicates that at the time of its explosion it weighed somewhat more than 100 tons, which is the approximate mass of the spacecraft without fuel.
SpaceX and FAA officials did not respond Friday to questions submitted in writing and in interviews by The New York Times about whether the explosion and falling debris might pose a threat to any aircraft or people on the ground. It is unclear how much of the spacecraft was burned during its fall.
The agency said there were no reports of injuries but was investigating reports of property damage in the Turks and Caicos Islands. She also said that many planes that were told to stay in an area away from falling debris ended up having to divert and return to other airports due to low fuel.
SpaceX said, in a statement about this seventh test flight of the Starship vehicle, that preliminary data indicates that a fire broke out in the back section of the spacecraft, which led to the explosion and the landing of debris in an area already identified by SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration. As it is vulnerable to such risks.
Near the launch site in South Texas, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, all flights were already banned at the time of launch. The spacecraft’s altitude was about 10 times higher than that of commercial flights when it exploded, meaning there should have been time to warn any aircraft in the area to move away before any remaining debris approached.
SpaceX will be responsible for investigating the accident, but it will be overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration, which could allow it to resume test flights even before the investigation is complete, if SpaceX can document that the accident did not pose a safety risk.
Mr. Musk has previously Express frustration In how long it takes the agency to approve spacecraft launch licenses. Now he will become a senior member of the Trump administration, through his position as co-leader of an advisory group called the Government Efficiency Administration, with authority to evaluate federal spending and regulation.
“What this new administration might do is push this review to conclusion more quickly,” said Todd Harrison, former space industry executive at the America Enterprise Institute.
He added that he expects that some at the FAA may want to impose new demands on SpaceX regarding the launch timing of future Starship test flights, or broader restrictions on flights along the flight path.
Tim Farrar, a satellite industry consultant, said the incident demonstrated the complexities the United States will face as it ramps up space launches, both for the Pentagon as it builds space-warfare capability, and for major commercial companies like SpaceX and Amazon. Build constellations of thousands of satellites to create global broadband Internet access from orbit.
“How much can you realistically increase the pace of these launches?” Mr. Farrar said.
There were 145 launches that reached orbit last year from the United States, compared to just 21 five years ago. Unusual 133 of these The orbital launch was done by SpaceX, now the world’s dominant space company, According to the data It was compiled by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who tracks launches globally.
Most of SpaceX’s launches have been done by the Falcon 9 rocket, which deploys Starlink communications satellites and Pentagon payloads and was not affected by the FAA’s order on Friday.
Blue Origin, the launch company founded by Jeff Bezos, conducted a rocket test of its own on Thursday, reaching orbit for the first time with its spacecraft called New Glenn. But it took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 2:03 a.m., partly because there were fewer planes in the air at that time.
The increased pace of launches, even before Thursday, had drawn complaints from airlines, including Australian carrier Qantas, which told reporters this month that it had to postpone several flights between Johannesburg and Sydney at the last minute due to debris. From SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.
“While we try to make any changes to our schedule well in advance, recent launches have been timed late meaning we have had to delay some flights just before departure,” the Qantas CEO said in a statement.
American Airlines spokeswoman Hannah Walden said commercial airlines are closely monitoring the issue.
“Safety is the top priority for American airlines, and we are committed to ensuring the safety of all flights amid the increasing number of space launches,” she said in a statement. “We continually collaborate and coordinate with the federal government and commercial space stakeholders to ensure America’s airspace remains safe for all users.”
Bill Nelson, administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Biden, praised the test flight. The space agency has contracts worth more than $4 billion with SpaceX Use the spacecraft twice To land astronauts on the moon.
“Space flight is not easy” He wrote Thursday night On Mr. Musk’s
Mark Walker Contributed to reports.