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SpaceX Starship Launch Test Disrupts Air Traffic
A recent test flight of SpaceX’s Starship has had significant repercussions for commercial air travel. The rocket, which was undergoing its seventh flight test, broke apart shortly after takeoff on Thursday evening from the SpaceX launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
According to the flight-tracking service Flightradar24, numerous commercial flights were either diverted or delayed due to the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the situation by issuing a warning to pilots about a “dangerous area for falling debris,” leading to the temporary rerouting of aircraft in the vicinity.
SpaceX’s Starship lifted off at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET, moving eastward over the Gulf of Mexico. Following its disintegration, the company announced via social media platform X that it would evaluate the flight data collected during the test to determine the cause of the failure.
As reported by a spokesperson for the FAA, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to property caused by the debris from the rocket. However, the incident did lead to significant disruptions in air traffic. For instance, a JetBlue Airways flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, was forced to return to Fort Lauderdale nearly two hours into the journey. Other aircraft, including a FedEx cargo plane and a Spirit Airlines flight, also altered their routes.
An American Airlines representative noted that they experienced fewer than ten diversions attributed to the debris fallout, highlighting the tight competition for airspace in Florida’s congested air traffic corridor.
As airlines and private pilots navigate airspace around launch sites, coordination and timely communication will be crucial to ensure passenger safety and prevent further disruptions as spaceflight activities continue to escalate.
Source
www.cnbc.com