The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and authorities from the Turks and Caicos Islands have initiated investigations into the recent explosion of SpaceX’s Starship rocket.

What Happened: A prototype of SpaceX’s Starship suffered a mid-flight explosion over the Bahamas, just eight minutes into its seventh test launch from Texas. The incident scattered debris across the northern Caribbean.

The FAA, which oversees private rocket launches, stated, “There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.”

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Residents of the South and North Caicos islands experienced intense ground vibrations and discovered burnt fragments of what they suspected to be Starship debris. “My mirror and the walls were shaking,” shared Veuleiri Artiles, a resident of South Caicos. Ibalor Calucin, a resident of Providenciales island, compared the experience to an “earthquake,” reported Reuters.

“Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly,” SpaceX stated on its website.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared a video of rocket parts raining down from the sky, stating that “success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed.” 

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: SpaceX