The rocket’s new flight path could pose a risk to populated areas below.
SpaceX is inching closer to sending its Starship rocket into low Earth orbit. A newly proposed flight path for the upper stage would see it fly across Florida skies—an unusual route that would seriously disrupt air traffic and raise the risk of debris falling onto populated areas below.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reviewing SpaceX’s request for new launch and reentry flight paths that would see its upper-stage Starship rocket crossing over Florida as it makes its way toward space and eventually return for a landing at the company’s Boca Chica launch mount in Texas.
The agency is considering the safety risks of the new launch trajectories, as well as having to close the airspace over a portion of Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and the U.S.New flight paths, new risks
Last month, Starship finally broke its back-to-back losing streak by acing its 10th test flight. Following its near-flawless launch, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk explained that an upgraded version of Starship will soon reach orbit by next year and demonstrate full reusability by landing both the Super Heavy booster and its upper stage.
