Elon Musk’s space company, SpaceX, faced a fresh controversy as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uncovered a rocket explosion that posed a serious risk to numerous airplane passengers.
In January of this year, SpaceX conducted the seventh test of its unmanned Starship rocket, a vital component in Musk’s Mars exploration ambitions. The test ended in disaster as the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff from Texas, while cruising over the Caribbean.
Although mishaps during tests of unmanned rockets are not uncommon, the January incident was particularly alarming. The explosion forced three airplanes carrying a total of 450 passengers to alter their flight paths, with one plane even making an emergency landing.
During the chaos, one pilot was instructed by air traffic controllers to declare an emergency to land at San Juan airport. The pilot urgently radioed, “In that case, we declare emergency: Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.” The debris cloud resulting from the explosion lingered in the sky for close to an hour. SpaceX was later criticized for failing to promptly inform FAA officials about the incident, but eventually complied with their recommendations.
The explosion of the SpaceX rocket created a massive debris field that disrupted local flight paths, visible even from the ground. The rocket, which was intended to be retrieved upon returning to its landing pad, disintegrated spectacularly over the Caribbean during its ill-fated flight.
On January 16, the seventh Starship launch took place from Boca Chica, Texas, captivating onlookers with its dazzling liftoff before meeting its destructive fate mid-air.