TAMPA, Fla. (March 6, 2025) — Tampa Bay residents saw a fiery explosion light up the sky at sunset Thursday, the result of SpaceX’s Starship blowing up during its eighth test flight from Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket, aimed at future Moon and Mars missions, lost contact mid-flight and disintegrated, echoing its seventh test failure in January, with debris visible across Florida.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded flights at Tampa International, Miami International, and Orlando International airports due to falling debris, diverting some to Tampa and causing delays. “It exploded, and now I’m stuck,” said passenger David Ruiz at Tampa’s terminal. The FAA is investigating, while SpaceX plans to review the data from the latest setback.
