Fri, 17 Jan 2025

FAA grounds SpaceX's Starship after midflight explosion, reports property damage on Turks and Caicos

The FAA grounded SpaceX's Starship pending an investigation into the failure that caused the rocket to break apart midflight after launching on Thursday.

* The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded SpaceX's Starship rocket until an investigation into a midflight failure is completed.
* The failure forced airlines to divert flights and caused reports of public property damage on the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean.
* SpaceX must complete the investigation and implement corrective actions before being issued a new license to launch Starship again.
* Dozens of commercial airline flights were delayed or diverted, including those operated by American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Delta Air Lines.
* The FAA says that debris from the explosion fell outside of designated "Aircraft Hazard Areas" where it was supposed to land.
* SpaceX initially stated that debris fell within the hazard area, but later revised its statement.
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