SpaceX Starship rocket debris falls into Bahamian airspace

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Bahamian government said on Friday that officials from SpaceX are due to arrive following Thursday night’s explosion of a SpaceX Starship rocket, with debris falling into Bahamian airspace.

“The debris from Starship fell into our airspace in the southern Bahamas. Following the incident, SpaceX’s contingency measures include immediate and continual communication with Bahamian officials,” the government said in a statement.

The government stated that it has since been assured by SpaceX that the debris contains no toxic materials and is not expected to have any significant impact on marine life or water quality.

“SpaceX teams will be in The Bahamas to conduct full debris recovery and clean-up efforts. We expect our applicable agencies, including the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, to observe the clean-up activities.”

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft exploded on Thursday, minutes after lifting off from Texas, dooming an attempt to deploy mock satellites in the second consecutive failure this year for Elon Musk’s Mars rocket programme.

Several videos on social media showed fiery debris streaking through the dusk skies near South Florida and the Bahamas after Starship’s breakup in space, which occurred shortly after it began to spin uncontrollably with its engines cut off.

“On the evening of 6 March 2025, SpaceX launched its Starship rocket from Starbase in Texas, United States. Minutes after take-off, contact was lost with the spacecraft, and debris was subsequently observed streaming over The Bahamas,” according to the government’s statement.

“The Bahamas has no regulatory authority under The Bahamas’ Civil Aviation (Space Flight and Re-Entry) Regulations 2025 over SpaceX’s Starship operations. This incident is not part of The Bahamas’ existing relationship with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 programme, which involves controlled booster landings in Bahamian waters following launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The FAA issues the launch licence for Starship exercises,” the statement added.

The incident resulted in several flight delays on Thursday, and the government’s statement said that The Bahamas was required, under an existing treaty, to issue a Notice to Mariners (NOTMAR) for maritime safety coordination.

The government emphasised that this Starship incident is not part of The Bahamas’ Falcon 9 programme.

“The government of The Bahamas remains engaged with SpaceX and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure proper recovery actions are carried out,” the statement added.

Last month, Bahamian tourism officials said they expect the country to become a key player in the rapidly growing space tourism sector, as its first international rocket landing took place off the coast of The Exumas.

The global space tourism industry, SpaceX stated, saw its Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Bahamian officials said the country had been designated as the exclusive location for the first international event, showcasing its unique position as the only destination where the public can witness Falcon 9 booster landings from a prime vantage point.

“This historic collaboration with SpaceX further reinforces our commitment to innovation and our dedication to expanding tourism offerings,” said Tourism, Investments, and Aviation Minister I. Chester Cooper.

The authorities stated that a Memorandum of Cooperation recently signed between the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which took effect on 15 January this year, established a framework for the oversight and regulation of aerospace activity. The Cabinet has approved 19 more landings throughout 2025, subject to regulatory approval.

In addition, SpaceX will conduct quarterly STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and space-focused seminars that boost STEM education in The Bahamas, benefiting students and instructors. Additionally, SpaceX will give a one million US dollar donation to the University of The Bahamas for STEM education.