The Tribune

By Lynaire Munnings

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A SpaceX Starship rocket is due to launch today and pass over Bahamian airspace.

The launch, scheduled for approximately 7.30pm, has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It will mark the ninth test flight of the Starship - and follows the previous test flight in which the Starship exploded in mid-flight on March 6, raining debris down on The Bahamas.

According to SpaceX, the rocket will travel several hundred thousand feet above The Bahamas and does not require authorisation from the Bahamian government. However, the Bahamas Air Navigation Services Authority (BANSA) will issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), while the Port Department will release a Notice to Mariners outlining a temporary safety zone and flight window.

Government officials said the flight will involve no landing or recovery within Bahamian territory. The Starship is a separate vehicle from the Falcon 9 rocket which landed in Bahamian waters previously. 

The March 6 explosion scattered about 400 pounds of debris near Ragged Island. The launch was intended to end with re-entry over the Indian Ocean but broke apart about nine minutes into flight. The explosion was visible across Florida, Cuba, The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos.

A SpaceX recovery team arrived on March 7 and worked alongside Bahamian authorities for two weeks to collect debris. The company pledged to cover all clean-up and environmental assessment costs.

Director of Environmental Planning and Protection Dr Rhianna Neely said no heavy parts landed in Bahamian waters and said the debris mostly consisted of heat shield fragments. She said debris had also washed ashore in Cat Island, Abaco, and Eleuthera, but not all of it has been confirmed to be from SpaceX.