Washington : The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and officials from the Turks and Caicos Islands are investigating SpaceX’s Starship explosion, which sent debris over the northern Caribbean, disrupting aviation routes, forcing airlines to divert dozens of flights.
The FAA confirmed no injuries and is assessing potential damage to public property in the British Overseas Territory of Turks and Caicos in collaboration with SpaceX and local authorities. The upgraded Starship, part of SpaceX’s seventh flight test, exploded roughly eight minutes into its launch from Texas on Thursday.
Debris from the explosion was observed streaking across the sky over the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force confirmed a multi-agency investigation is underway, though no details on property damage were provided.
The Starship, which carried mock satellites, launched from Boca Chica, Texas, reaching 64 km in altitude before separating from its Super Heavy booster. It lost communication shortly after separation and disintegrated due to a fire in its aft section. SpaceX attributed the incident to a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”
The rocket was designed for a suborbital flight to re-enter the Indian Ocean and attempt a water landing.
