The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly paused flights to multiple Florida airports on Thursday night following an in-flight failure of SpaceX’s Starship during the Flight 8 test launch yesterday.

Airports affected by the temporary flight halt included Miami International Airport—an American Airlines hub—as well as those serving Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. The pause was implemented as part of a response to the potential of falling debris from the failed launch.

In a statement, the FAA confirmed that it required SpaceX to conduct a “mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on March 6.” The regulatory agency also stated that it “activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the affected zone or held them at their departure points,” but that normal air traffic operations had resumed.

SpaceX acknowledged the incident in a post on X, stating that Starship “experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during ascent,” leading to a loss of contact. The company added that its team “immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses.”

This event marks the second time in 2024 that a Starship test flight has resulted in debris falling and commercial air traffic disruptions. SpaceX had previously been working on an investigation into an earlier test failure but was granted approval by the FAA to proceed with its eighth test launch before completing that review.

The competition for airspace between commercial airlines, private aviation, and the growing space industry is particularly pronounced off the Florida coast, where launches are frequent. Incidents such as this one highlight the challenges of managing aerospace activity in high-traffic regions.

SpaceX did not immediately provide further comment regarding the mishap, but will likely announce the results of its investigation when that is completed. There is no timeline for the inquiries to be concluded.

Starship, when fully assembled with its Super Heavy booster, reaches a height of 403 feet and a diameter of approximately 30 feet. The vehicle is central to SpaceX’s long-term goals, including missions beyond Earth’s orbit.

Somebody explain to me what just flew through the sky in miami and disintegrated over the ocean? 😳 everyone watching had no idea how to describe it. #MiamiBeach pic.twitter.com/HTfXRyuH3y

— Nick (@MrGilyard) March 6, 2025