US aviation authorities briefly halted flights at several Florida airports after SpaceX’s Starship suffered another catastrophic failure shortly after launch. The 123m (403ft) spacecraft, intended for deep-space missions, lost control and disintegrated mid-flight over the Atlantic.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary ground stop at Orlando and Miami airports due to concerns over falling debris. No injuries or damage were reported.
SpaceX confirmed the uncrewed rocket experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” and lost contact with ground control. This marks the second consecutive failure in Starship’s test program, following a similar mishap in January that caused property damage in the Caribbean.
Despite the explosion, the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launchpad. SpaceX is reviewing flight data to determine the cause. Elon Musk has yet to comment, but SpaceX maintains that each test is a learning opportunity to improve Starship’s reliability for future Moon and Mars missions.
