Vetenskap

January 22, 2026, 8:22 PM EST. SpaceX picked a remote Texas Gulf Coast site to develop Starship, routing tests over Caribbean airspace toward the open Atlantic. The FAA predicted only minor disruption to national airspace and no airport closures, but three of five launches exploded last year, sending flaming debris over congested routes. ProPublica's investigation shows the agency authorized testing over busy airways, effectively accepting the risk to airline passengers and not revoking SpaceX's launch license. Instead, the FAA allowed more prototypes to fly over the same airspace, adding stress to air traffic control. Real-time airspace closures followed the failures, sometimes with little warning, forcing pilots to alter routes or divert. The pilots union questioned the process, while the FAA says it limits the number of aircraft exposed to hazards.