SpaceX’s fiery Starship explosion put on a fantastic show but delayed and diverted flights

Falling debris from yesterday’s SpaceX Starship explosion created what looked like a meteor shower, or a colorful fireworks display based on videos shared by people in the area, but it also delayed flights.

Footage of the aftermath of the explosion was shared on social media Reddit. Some were recorded inside aircraft flying nearby, and many flights around the debris field were diverted or delayed until all the fragments touched down.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it “briefly slowed the planes and diverted them around the area where space debris was falling.” Reuters.

The seventh Starship test flight was at least a partial success, the second time SpaceX has done so The Super Heavy booster was successfully captured With its own launch tower. It was also the first time one of the Raptor’s booster engines from a previous flight was reused.

The launch was a test of a redesigned propulsion system, an improved flight computer, and the vehicle’s heat shield. It is unclear whether any of these factors led to the failure, however SpaceX says According to “preliminary data”, the explosion was likely the result of a fire that broke out in the rear section of the ship.

The company says that “the Starship vehicle flew within its designated launch lane” and “any remaining pieces of debris would have fallen into the designated danger zone.” The falling debris was displayed in the evening sky over the Caribbean and was captured by many tourists who seemed surprised and a little worried about what they were witnessing.

The last time SpaceX lost a spacecraft was during a launch The third test flight last March. Although it was the first flight in which the spacecraft completed a full ascent burn, SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft shortly before it was expected to fall into the Indian Ocean.