Last Updated on Thursday, 16 January 2025, 22:01 by Writer
Several Flights over the Atlantic, near the Turks and Caicos Islands, are being forced to hold or divert due to falling debris from SpaceX’s Starship Flight 7 which broke-apart in the atmosphere, the website, Airlive, reported Thursday night.
Some of the affected flights:
- Delta flight #DL1785 to Atlanta
- JetBlue flight #B6882 to New York JFK
- Delta flight #DL1925 to Minneapolis
- Frontier #F92981 to Orlando
- American Airlines #AA1391 to Miami
- Spirit #KN172 to San Juan
- American Airlines #AA2969 to JFK
- American Airlines #AA2694 to JFK
All telemetry and communications with the spacecraft have been severed with SpaceX’s livestream confirming this as an “anomaly.”
The statement, “We are assuming the ship has been lost,” was made, signaling a major setback for the ambitious Starship programme.
The Starship was “auto destroyed” by the Flight Termination System (FDS).
Starship’s FDS is a crucial safety feature, allowing the vehicle to be remotely detonated if it deviates off course, or has a chance of putting people in danger.
This flight, which aimed to push the boundaries of human space exploration, was watched by millions, showcasing the potential of what could be humanity’s next step towards Mars.
However, the loss of contact has raised concerns and questions about the safety and reliability of the Starship system. SpaceX has not provided further details on the cause of the anomaly, but this incident marks a significant moment in the journey of the world’s most powerful rocket.
