On January 16, air traffic in the Caribbean was affected when three commercial airplanes declared emergencies after allegedly crossing an area where debris from a SpaceX Starship rocket may have fallen.
A JetBlue, an Iberia plane with 450 passengers on board, and a private jet reported critical situations, although in the end, all managed to land without incidents.
The explosion of the Starship just minutes after its launch caused a rain of incandescent fragments that lasted almost 50 minutes, creating an extreme risk situation for civil aviation.
An incident that endangered nearly 500 people
The pilots reported to the controllers about “intense fire and fragments” visible from their cockpits, which led to a delayed activation of the no-fly zones. This lack of immediate communication from SpaceX prevented FAA controllers from acting with the necessary speed.
This incident has highlighted the risks associated with the projected increase in space launches. The FAA estimates that annual launches could increase from an average of about 20 to between 200 and 400 in the near future, significantly raising the risk of collisions between aircraft and rocket debris.
In addition, the FAA has formed a panel of experts to review safety protocols, although the review was abruptly suspended in August, raising concerns about the lack of concrete actions.
SpaceX defended its position by labeling the reports about the incident as “deceptive,” reiterating that public safety is a priority. The company continues testing Starship, while experts warn that the increasing activity in space could pose unprecedented challenges for commercial aviation in the coming years.