The Federal Aviation Administration told TechCrunch that it “briefly” had to slow and divert a number of planes near the area where debris was seen falling after SpaceX’s Starship exploded during a test flight on Thursday.
Multiple flights could be seen entering holding patterns or changing course entirely in the airspace near Puerto Rico shortly after the ship exploded on its way into space, according to data from Aviation Radar24. The FAA said normal airspace operations have since resumed.
Airports witnessed disruptions as a result of diversion operations. Miami International Airport posted a 30-minute flight delay warning due to a “missile launch malfunction,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida also cited the same reason for the short delay.
SpaceX’s Starship lifted off earlier Thursday from the company’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on the seventh test flight of the Heavy Launch System. SpaceX captured the massive booster as it touched down with the launch tower for the second time ever. The company was hoping to test a wide range of new equipment and upgrades on the spacecraft segment.
SpaceX had already come under some criticism this week when Qantas Airways complained that debris from the spaceflight company’s rocket launches appeared to be causing some flight delays.
Shortly after the ship crashed on Thursday, videos and photos of the wreckage spread on social media. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Share a video on XHe wrote: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”