SpaceX rocket explodes in flight; investigation ‘likely,’ says Shruti Gurudanti, Rose Law Group partner, leader of the firm’s space law practice, and director of corporate transactions

By Leslie Josephs | CNBC

Several commercial flights were diverted or delayed after SpaceX’s Starship rocket broke up during its seventh flight test on Thursday.

Dozens of flights were affected, according to flight-tracker Flightradar24.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it “briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling” after it issued a warning to pilots about “dangerous area for falling debris of rocket Starship.”

The rocket took off from SpaceX’s facility near Brownsville, Texas, shortly after 5:30 p.m. ET, and was headed east from Texas. It broke up and SpaceX said on X that it will “continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause.”

The FAA has not received any reports of injuries or property damage from Starship’s debris, a spokesperson for the agency told CNBC.

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“It is likely that the FAA will open an investigation into the explosion, especially since there was debris reported.” -Shruti Gurudanti, Rose Law Group partner, leader of the firm’s space law practice, and director of corporate transactions

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