WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Starship rocket disintegrated in space shortly after liftoff from Texas on Thursday evening (Jan 16), forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to reroute due to falling debris. The incident marks a setback for Elon Musk’s ambitious Starship program.

The newly upgraded Starship, carrying a test payload of mock satellites and no crew, launched from SpaceX’s South Texas facility at 5:38 p.m. EST (6:38 a.m. SGT). However, eight minutes after liftoff, SpaceX mission control lost contact with the rocket.

“We did lose all communications with the ship—that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage,” said SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot. Minutes later, it was confirmed that the rocket was destroyed. Footage captured by Reuters showed streaks of orange light and smoke trails over Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as debris from the rocket re-entered the atmosphere.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported temporary disruptions to air traffic in the affected region. Flights at Miami International Airport were briefly grounded, while dozens of commercial aircraft were diverted or altered their routes to avoid the debris field, according to data from FlightRadar24. Normal operations resumed once the situation was stabilized.

While airspace closures are standard during launches and reentries, the FAA sometimes implements additional "debris response areas" when a vehicle experiences an anomaly beyond its planned trajectory.

The failure follows a similar incident last March, when a Starship upper stage failed during reentry over the Indian Ocean. However, this latest mishap stands out for its broader impact on commercial aviation.

Musk responded to the incident on social media platform X, sharing a video of the debris field with the caption, "Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" The setback comes a day after Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space exploration company, achieved a significant milestone with the successful orbital launch of its New Glenn rocket.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters