SpaceX explosion triggers emergencies
A Wall Street Journal report this month revealed that leaked Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents showed that a mid-air explosion of a SpaceX Starship (Flight 7) over the Caribbean occurred in January 2025.
The explosion sparked fuel emergencies that were declared by commercial airline pilots forced into dangerous situations in the sky.
The explosion occurred less than ten minutes after liftoff, scattering debris across the Caribbean and prompting passenger planes to declare fuel emergencies before landing safely.
Fiery fragments fell through the sky for nearly 50 minutes, crossing major flight paths near Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
An FAA investigation found that SpaceX did not promptly notify air traffic controllers through the required hotline, and controllers learned of the debris only after pilots reported it.
Following that incident and a separate March explosion, the FAA reviewed procedures for handling debris and ordered SpaceX to implement 63 corrective measures and obtain a revised launch permit.
SpaceX announced at the time, “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause.”
SpaceX says it relies on iterative testing and rapid redesign, while critics say failures to notify air traffic controllers endanger civilian aircraft and could slow regulatory approvals.
The company plans another test flight, and NASA intends to use Starship for future lunar missions.
