Debris from Starship Blast Poses Critical Threat to Passenger Planes
The massive Starship vehicle lifted off from the company's Texas launch site on January 16 before catastrophically disintegrating during flight, scattering flaming wreckage across vast stretches of airspace. SpaceX founder Elon Musk remarked during the incident that "success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!"
According to media report released Saturday, FAA documentation reveals that "the explosion rained fiery debris across parts of the Caribbean region for roughly 50 minutes," with officials cautioning that any impact between falling fragments and an aircraft could have triggered catastrophic outcomes, potentially causing structural failure and mass casualties.
SpaceX dismissed the publication's findings as "misleading," alleging journalists were "clearly spoon-fed incomplete and misleading information from detractors with ulterior motives." The aerospace manufacturer declared via X on Saturday that public safety remains its top priority.
"No aircraft have been put at risk, and any events that generated vehicle debris were contained within pre-coordinated response areas developed by the US Space Force and implemented by the FAA," the company said.
Internal FAA records reportedly indicate that a JetBlue aircraft traveling toward Puerto Rico received alerts about approaching a danger zone and was directed into a holding pattern, with air traffic management subsequently informing pilots that proceeding forward would be "at your own risk." Additional documentation notes that two planes came dangerously close together, requiring controller action to head off a possible collision.
Controllers allegedly characterized the unfolding scenario as a "potential extreme safety risk." Following fuel emergency declarations, the affected aircraft—including an Iberia commercial flight and a private jet—traversed the temporarily restricted airspace. The three flights, transporting approximately 450 passengers combined, ultimately touched down without incident.
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