SpaceX Starship Explosion Causes Flight Diversions

Multiple aircraft flying over and near the Caribbean are forced to divert, according to flight tracking data.

Friday, January 17, 2025 at 02:29 PM ET

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The upper stage of SpaceX’s Starship exploded midflight on Thursday, January 16, but the company managed to catch the Super Heavy booster for the second time. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship exploded mid-flight, likely due to a fuel leak and fire, causing falling debris that forced multiple aircraft to divert and prompted an FAA mishap investigation.
The FAA activated a debris response area after fragments fell outside the planned hazard zone and is confirming reports of property damage.
Despite the Starship's explosion, SpaceX successfully executed its second "Mechazilla" catch of the Super Heavy booster, a critical milestone for the rocket's reusability.

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The largest rocket to ever fly exploded in midair Thursday evening, forcing multiple aircraft to change course in order to dodge the falling debris.

SpaceX’s Starship—which towers more than 400 feet tall when stacked atop the Super Heavy booster in its current Block 2 configuration—was about eight minutes into its seventh test flight when it experienced what SpaceX calls a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” In other words, the rocket blew up.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.