Turks and Caicos Islands - January 16, 2025 The skies over the Caribbean lit up with a spectacular display as SpaceX’s Starship exploded following its separation from the booster on January 16. The fiery explosion, captured by onlookers, sent debris streaking across the sky, creating a dazzling spectacle. Greg Munch, a visitor to the islands, shared a video of the event, commenting, “I am in Turks and Caicos and the Starship exploded right over our heads.” The debris left a trail of smoke across the Caribbean Sea as the spacecraft met its fiery end just eight minutes after launch from South Texas. While the explosion marked a setback for SpaceX, the company successfully retrieved the first-stage booster, marking the second successful catch of a Super Heavy booster. However, the explosion forced airlines to reroute flights over the Gulf of Mexico to avoid the falling wreckage. SpaceX described the event as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” after losing contact with the spacecraft, though the choice of words sparked reactions on social media. The explosion is another hurdle for SpaceX’s ambitious rocket program, which had recently seen significant progress.