Dig Deeper The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered SpaceX to conduct a formal investigation into the explosion of its Starship spacecraft, which occurred Thursday during its seventh test launch. The rocket exploded when it reached space approximately eight and a half minutes after takeoff, prompting airports to delay or halt flights in southern Florida because of falling debris. SpaceX said initial data indicated a fire broke out in the rear part of the Starship, which triggered the vehicle's destruction, according to CBS News. The FAA said that there has been no reports of injuries related to falling debris, but some public property in Turks and Caicos was reportedly damaged. "The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on Jan. 16," the FAA said in a statement. "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." SpaceX previously said Thursday's flight was a setback but that it would still launch another rocket in the future, after reviewing data from the most recent mission. Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage. The Facts Inside Our Reporter's Notebook Links