January 17, SpaceX managed to repeat the recovery stage of its super-heavy rocket on the way back thanks to the robotic arm of its launch tower. However, there is also a negative side: the upper phase Starship It exploded a few minutes after launch. Elon Musk’s company He didn’t consider it a complete failure. Moreover, the American tycoon himself noted on his social networks that at least they had fun. But this fun could also be understood by planes colliding with Starship wreckage without expecting it.
Crowd of pilots Caribbean region They alerted their dispatchers that something was wrong. Some described what they saw as red lights of unknown origin. Others like stripes of color. Some intuitively guessed that it could be a SpaceX product, but they were not entirely correct as they indicated that it could be a SpaceX project. Launch of Starlink satellite. Whatever their idea, most of them had to change their route to avoid an accident with a cloud of starship debris.
However, there was an Iberia flight from Spain that was unable to make this detour because it was almost out of fuel. The pilot was forced to fly through the wreckage of the starship after the announcement emergency. Fortunately, the landing ended up being smooth and the passengers arrived safely in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
Unexpected cloud of starship debris
Most pilots who encountered a cloud of starship debris were unaware that such a launch had occurred nearby. Specifically in Boca ChicaTexas. They should not have thought that the flight could compromise their safety. That’s why when they saw the lights and debris in the air, they didn’t understand what it was.
Most had to deviate or change your height. Later, after flight controllers learned what happened to the SpaceX ship, the airspace was closed around the incident.
An Iberia pilot on a flight from Madrid to San Juan has just reported that he will land early due to fuel problems. He received clearance from flight controllers, but before he could complete the maneuver, he was warned of a new risk posed by the starship’s debris. It was explained to him that he must announce may Daysince he would have to fly through the debris, and this posed a risk. That’s exactly what the pilot did.
There could be more such situations
Fortunately, everything went well, both for this Iberia flight and for others who encountered Starship wreckage. However, this incident highlights other risks associated with the strategy that SpaceX plans to implement.
Elon Musk himself recently admitted that his plan is to improve his ships. based on many attempts. They will launch prototype starships over and over again until everything is perfect. In fact, although in 2024 they only made 4 test runs, the company plans to hold 25 launches this year 2025. They haven’t gotten the green light yet. However, given Elon Musk’s good relationship with President Donald Trump, it is quite possible that he will succeed.
It means more space debris, possible debris in the ocean and, given the recent problem with planes in the Caribbean, risks in the airspace. This is worth remembering because this time everything went well, but another time there could be incidents that are worth regretting.
Source: Hiper Textual
