Caribbean strikes again: SpaceX Rocket explodes for second time

Space X’s starship rocket, developed under Elon Musk’s space vision, exploded in space during a test flight on Thursday, with debris crashing over the Bahamas. As per reports, the SpaceX launched its 8th test flight of Starship rocket from Starbase in Texas, United States and lost contact just few minutes after its take-off. 

As per reports, no damage or injuries have been reported after the explosion of the second unmanned test flight for SpaceX Starship. This incident marks the second time; a Space X rocket has exploded over the Caribbean Islands. The incident follows a similar failure in January when another Starship rocket exploded over the Caribbean, with debris landing on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Following the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily halted operations from major Florida airports, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Palm Beach.

Reaction on Space X Starship explosion 

The Government of Bahamas also reacted to the incident and shed light on their communication with the officials from SpaceX. The Government assured that the debris contains no toxic materials and no significant impact has been noticed on marine life. The authorities noted that they remains engaged with SpaceX and will continue to monitor the situation, aiming to ensure proper recovery actions are carried out. 

The agency also acknowledged the loss of control and stated that flight data would be analysed to determine the cause behind it. They said that despite previous failures, they emphasized that each test improves reliability of the Starship, a crucial step for its long-term mission goals. They added that their main mission is to test the deployment of SpaceX's Starlink satellites, a crucial component of the company's space infrastructure. The agency also highlighted about Elon Musk’s commitment to ensure, each test provides insights that bring SpaceX closer to achieving interplanetary travel.

Following the explosion, the incident went viral on social media and citizens reacted to the situation.  An individual wrote, “Falling space debris stopped air traffic in and out of Florida this evening. Are we in danger on the ground from debris from Space X explosions? Don’t really want experimental space craft’s flying over my head. I believe I am correct in saying when testing airplanes they fly over unpopulated areas.” Another wrote, “Great. In addition to destroying America, he’s polluting our oceans.”