JUST IN: FAA Halts Flights In Multiple Airports After SpaceX Starship Explosion

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted flights in multiple Florida airports after a SpaceX Starship test flight ended in an explosion.

Footage of the debris circulated on social media.

WATCH:

Just saw Starship 8 blow up in the Bahamas @SpaceX @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/rTMJu23oVx

— Jonathon Norcross (@NorcrossUSA) March 6, 2025

#SpaceX #Starship major explosion here in the Ragged Islands Bahamas. Taking cover. pic.twitter.com/O9Aj3grnZR

— GeneDoctor (@GeneDoctorB) March 6, 2025

Per CNN:

SpaceX’s key test objectives for Starship’s eighth test flight, including an attempt to reignite a single Starship engine in space, were largely similar to those from January since Flight 7 got cut short when it ended in flames.

The loss of signal occurred at roughly the same point during this mission as with Flight 7, when Starship exploded over populated islands in Turks and Caicos, littering the islands with debris and striking a car.

It has not been confirmed where exactly the vehicle exploded during today’s mission. But the explosion was visible from parts of Florida and occurred over the Caribbean, according to reports from residents of those locations shared with CNN.

The Federal Aviation Administration is halting flights into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando airports for “falling space debris.” An FAA notice says the ground stops are in place until 8 p.m. ET.

The FAA is also keeping flights from departing from Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.

FAA halts flights into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando airports due to “space launch debris.”

— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) March 7, 2025

FAA Halts Flights After Musk’s Starship Rocket Explodes and Rains Down Debris https://t.co/lF0YHPLTyS

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 7, 2025

“During Starship’s ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost. Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses,” SpaceX wrote.

“We will review the data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship’s reliability,” it added.

During Starship’s ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost. Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses.

We will review the data from today’s flight test to better…

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 7, 2025

ABC News reports:

According to the company, this flight test was designed to push the Starship’s capabilities further than previous attempts. The mission was supposed to include Starship’s first payload deployment and multiple reentry experiments to get SpaceX closer to bringing the upper stage back to the launch site for an eventual catch. That would make Starship a completely reusable spacecraft. The company says the ship is designed for vertical takeoff and landing on any hard surface.

Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which has been flying with a partially reusable design for years, Starship is designed to be fully reusable and capable of carrying crew and cargo on long-duration interplanetary missions.

SpaceX says Starship can also carry larger payloads, such as satellites and cargo, than other launch vehicles currently in use and can support long-duration missions to the Moon and potentially Mars.

The company says the spacecraft will eventually be capable of carrying up to 100 people on long-duration interplanetary flights.