How a SpaceX test flight put hundreds of airline passengers at risk

How a SpaceX test flight put hundreds of airline passengers at risk

In January, an experimental SpaceX rocket exploded minutes after liftoff, scattering fiery debris across parts of the Caribbean. What was not publicly known at the time was how close the incident came to endangering hundreds of airline passengers already in the air.

Records from the US Federal Aviation Administration show that three aircraft, two commercial airliners and a private jet, flew through a temporary no-fly zone created to protect planes from falling rocket debris. Two of those flights declared fuel emergencies after being diverted or forced into holding patterns as air-traffic controllers scrambled to keep aircraft clear of danger.

All three flights landed safely, but the episode has emerged as one of the clearest examples yet of how rocket testing can collide with the realities of global air travel, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Pilots forced into impossible choices

One of the affected flights, operated by JetBlue, was en route to Puerto Rico when controllers warned the crew that continuing toward San Juan would be “at your own risk.” Another commercial aircraft flown by Iberia Airlines, along with a business jet, faced similar warnings.

With fuel running low and limited diversion options over open water, the pilots ultimately declared emergencies and crossed the restricted airspace. FAA documents indicate the three aircraft carried roughly 450 people in total.

The debris field, created by the failure of SpaceX’s Starship, remained a concern for nearly 50 minutes. Aviation experts warn that even a small fragment striking an aircraft at cruising altitude could cause catastrophic damage.

Communication gaps and controller strain

FAA reports reviewed by The Wall Street Journal point to serious communication delays. SpaceX did not immediately notify the agency of the explosion through the required hotline, leaving some air-traffic controllers to first learn of the incident from pilots who could see burning debris outside their cockpits.

The debris response zones were activated only after Starship stopped transmitting flight data, and initially covered only parts of US airspace. That left gaps over international airspace where aircraft were still permitted to fly despite similar risks.

Controllers described their workload during the incident as extreme, with one report warning of a “potential extreme safety risk.” At least two aircraft flew dangerously close to each other amid the confusion, requiring urgent intervention to avoid a midair collision.

A growing challenge as launches increase

The FAA oversees both civilian air traffic and commercial space launches, a dual role that is becoming more complex as launch activity accelerates. The agency expects to regulate an average of 200 to 400 rocket launches or re-entries a year in the coming period, compared with a few dozen annually over previous decades.

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is central to that increase. Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, is intended to support missions ranging from satellite deployment to future Mars exploration. Its test flights involve intentional risk, with failures treated as part of development.

Industry data show that roughly one-third of new rockets fail on their first flight, making debris planning a growing concern for aviation safety.

A paused review and lingering concerns

In response to the January explosion and another Starship failure in March, the FAA convened a safety panel to review debris risks. That review was later suspended, an unusual move that surprised some participants. The agency said many recommendations were already being implemented and that further consultation was needed.

After the March incident, the FAA closed gaps in debris zones over international airspace, and later launches caused fewer disruptions to flights.

Managing two skies at once

The January incident has sharpened calls from pilots’ groups and safety experts for better real-time tracking of rockets and faster information-sharing with airlines. Some argue that space launches should be treated more like severe weather events, with clearer advance planning and flexible routing.

As spaceflight becomes more routine, the challenge for regulators will be to ensure that innovation in orbit does not introduce unacceptable risk in the skies below. The Starship explosion showed that the margin for error is slim when rockets and passenger planes share the same airspace.