By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE country’s airspace was virtually unaffected by a SpaceX rocket launch from Starbase in Texas yesterday, according to aviation officials.

An air traffic control officer told The Tribune the launch posed no threat to operations at Lynden Pindling International Airport or most other parts of the country.

“The upmost point affected by debris is 113 miles off Nassau. From the surface of the sea, it will affect up to about 6,000ft,” the officer said.

An airport spokesperson confirmed that one flight—British Airways 252, which arrived in New Providence from the Cayman Islands—was expected to be affected by the launch window, but no major disruptions were anticipated.

SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as part of a routine mission that temporarily restricted a small area of the Atlantic airspace.

The launch came months after a previous Starship test flight ended in a midair explosion that scattered debris across the Gulf of Mexico, prompting temporary flight and maritime restrictions in nearby regions. That incident drew international attention and raised questions about the potential hazards of falling debris from large-scale rocket launches.