The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flights departing from airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach to stay grounded until at least 8 p.m. EST after a SpaceX Starship broke up following a test launch Thursday, marking the second SpaceX test flight in a row to encounter a mission-ending issue.
SpaceX's mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, ... [+]
The FAA ordered ground stops for flights scheduled to depart from Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport, issuing the stop until 8 p.m. and noting a 30-60% chance it would be extended to a later time.
The FAA reported departures from Miami and Fort Lauderdale are delayed an average of 60 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively.
The eighth flight test of the SpaceX Starship began with a successful liftoff and capture of the vehicle’s booster before the Elon Musk-owned company lost contact.
Onboard cameras appeared to show the starship spinning out before going offline, with SpaceX noting the ship lost attitude control, which controls its orientation.
Multiple videos of the ship’s breakup showed bright streaks across the sky in places like the Bahamas, Florida and Dominican Republic.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.