SpaceX Starship debris lit up the sky over South Florida.

The spacecraft reportedly experienced a mid-flight breakup during its eighth test flight from Starbase in Texas on Thursday, March 6, scattering wreckage over the Sunshine State.

Footage shows a bright ball that resembles a shooting star, while another clip captures fireball-like fragments streaking across the sky, similar to a meteor shower.

Local media reported that the rocket was carrying a Starlink satellite when the explosion occurred, with contact lost just nine minutes into the flight.

The launch aimed to reignite a Starship engine in space and deploy a batch of 'mock satellites'.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said: 'A mishap investigation is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again.

'The FAA will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX's final report, including any corrective actions. A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.'

Authorities said the incident temporarily disrupted flights at multiple Florida airports, including Miami and Orlando, due to concerns over falling flaming debris.

A previous Starship test flight in January also ended in an explosion over the Caribbean, damaging a car and scattering debris across populated islands.

Elon Musk, an entrepreneur and business magnate, founded SpaceX in 2002. The private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company is dedicated to revolutionising space travel and making humanity a multi-planetary species.

SpaceX has achieved numerous milestones, including launching the first privately funded spacecraft to reach orbit, the first to dock with the ISS, and the first to send astronauts into space from American soil since the Space Shuttle programme.