On December 21st, SpaceX officially issued a statement on the X platform in response to the Wall Street Journal's report that the January starship explosion endangered flight safety.
The official statement from SpaceX is as follows:
This is another misleading report by The Wall Street Journal.
It is evident that journalists have been indoctrinated with incomplete and misleading information by individuals with ulterior motives.
Simply put, this reflects their complete lack of understanding of the mature and robust tool system in airspace management, which is clearly defined, based on science, and has been proven effective in ensuring public safety.
In any case, such false narratives based on speculation, reliance on anonymous sources, and non scientific analysis are conveying irresponsible messages to the public.
We need to be clear: SpaceX prioritizes public safety in every flight test of its Starship spacecraft, with no aircraft at risk, and all aircraft debris confined to pre coordinated emergency response zones established by the US Space Force and managed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Moreover, these emergency response areas are highly conservative in their division, with coverage areas far exceeding actual needs; All aircraft are guided to pre coordinated airspace under real-time scheduling.
SpaceX is committed to using airspace responsibly during launch and re-entry (re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere), effectively considering public safety, and protecting personnel on the ground, at sea, and in the air.
We plan to increase the flight frequency of starships and conduct launch missions from Florida in 2026. SpaceX will continue to promote the more efficient integration of starships into the airspace system while ensuring the highest public safety standards
The Wall Street Journal reported that in January of this year, a JetBlue Airways flight flying to Puerto Rico was informed by air traffic control that the airspace ahead was dangerous and continued to fly at one's own risk. The flight briefly hovered.
Two other planes - one operated by Iberia Airlines and the other private - have also encountered similar difficulties. According to records from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), both aircraft declared a fuel emergency and crossed a temporary no fly zone.
According to records, these three flights carried a total of about 450 people and all landed safely.
The Wall Street Journal believes that the above-mentioned risk events all stem from the explosion of SpaceX's starship just minutes after launch, and FAA documents show that the danger caused by this explosion is more serious than publicly disclosed.
The documents show that the hot debris generated by the explosion was scattered in some areas of the Caribbean Sea for about 50 minutes. If a plane in flight is hit by debris, it may cause catastrophic consequences: severe damage to the plane and casualties among passengers.
(Integrated from IT Home, Sina Finance, etc.)
