FAA Warns Pilots to Beware Exploding Rockets After Repeated SpaceX Starship Failures

FAA warns pilots to beware exploding rockets after repeated SpaceX Starship failures

Bulletin came after reports that multiple passenger flights were forced to take evasive action after SpaceX’s latest project broke up in flight above the Caribbean

FAA Warns Airlines About Safety Risks From Rocket Launches, Urges “Extreme Caution”

The agency’s official safety alert comes as SpaceX looks to ramp up Starship tests. A recent ProPublica investigation found that explosions during previous Starship launches disrupted air traffic and forced pilots to scramble for safety.

FAA Warns ‘Catastrophic’ Spaceflight Mishaps Pose Threat to Aircraft

The FAA has warned pilots to be prepared to “exercise extreme caution” when flying below the trajectory of commercial spacecraft—some of which have the potential for “catastrophic failures resulting in debris fields.” That is the language used in a recent Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), dated January 8, that is intended to provide guidance to air carriers, general aviation operators, and other airspace users. The SAFO follows a record fiscal …