SpaceX's Starship mega rocket launches on a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on January 16, 2025.
Eric Gay | AP
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that SpaceX's Starship rocket will remain grounded until the company and regulators complete an investigation into the in-flight failure of its recent test flight, which has forced airlines to reroute flights.
The regulator noted in a statement that while there were “no reports of public injuries,” it had received “reports of damage to public property in the Turks and Caicos Islands” in the Caribbean.
SpaceX must complete the investigation and take any necessary corrective actions before the FAA issues the company a new license to restart Starship.
The FAA has diverted and delayed dozens of commercial airline flights — including several it operated American Airlines, JetBlue Airways And Delta Air Lines — after the Starship rocket exploded, showering debris, minutes after launch Thursday.
SpaceX said in a statement that it believes a fire in the vehicle led to Starship's breakup. Videos posted on social media by people in the region showed the rocket detonating in space.
Orange balls of light fly across the sky as debris from a SpaceX rocket launched from Texas is spotted over the Turks and Caicos Islands on January 16, 2025.
Marcus Haworth@marcusahaworth | Marcus Haworth via Reuters
Specifically, the FAA says it has activated a “Debris Response Area” to warn aircraft of debris falling “outside the identified closed aircraft hazard areas.”
Before rocket launches, the FAA publishes “Aircraft Hazard Areas,” which tell pilots where debris could fall if something goes wrong during launch.
A map of “aircraft danger areas” released ahead of SpaceX’s seventh Starship flight.
Federal Aviation Administration
SpaceX initially posted a statement on its website Thursday that spacecraft debris “fell into the Atlantic Ocean within the predefined danger zones,” apparently contradicting the FAA's explanation for activating a “debris response zone.”
As of Friday morning, SpaceX's latest statement did not contain that specific language. The company's website stated more generally that after the failure, “any remaining debris would have fallen into the designated danger zone.”
The FAA reiterated that its “information is preliminary and subject to change” in response to CNBC's request for clarification on whether spacecraft debris landed outside the predefined danger zone. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
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