SpaceX Starship Test Flight Raises Safety Concerns for Air Traffic

SpaceX's test flight of Starship on January 16 from the Starbase facility in Texas raised significant safety concerns after debris from the rocket endangered three airplanes carrying a total of 450 passengers.

According to documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal, the upper stage of Starship suffered an engine glitch, leading to an early shutdown and breaking apart, causing debris to fall over Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.

Air traffic controllers had to reroute several commercial flights, including a JetBlue plane bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, to ensure passenger safety. Two planes were reportedly forced to fly close together, increasing the risk of collision.

SpaceX's previous test flights have also caused air traffic disruptions, including a March incident where Flight 8 was terminated due to a Raptor engine failure, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to halt flights in parts of Florida.

The FAA documents indicated that SpaceX did not immediately notify air traffic controllers about the failure, leading to confusion as pilots reported sightings of debris. SpaceX has responded to the claims, stating that the report is misleading and asserting that public safety has always been their top priority, emphasizing that any debris generated was contained within pre-coordinated hazard areas established in collaboration with the U.S.

Space Force and the FAA. Despite these assertions, the incidents raise critical questions about safety protocols in the commercial space sector as SpaceX plans to increase the flight cadence of its Starship program.