Qantas delayed flights due to falling debris from SpaceX rockets

Qantas has been forced to delay some flights between Australia and South Africa in recent weeks following a warning from the US government about SpaceX rocket debris reentering the Earth’s atmosphere over the Southern Indian Ocean.

Recent rocket launches have changed their timing at short notice, which in turn has forced Qantas to postpone flights right before departure, Ben Holland, the head of the airline’s operations centre, said in a statement on Tuesday. The flight delays have lasted for as long as six hours and have affected journeys between Johannesburg and Sydney.

With the rate of rocket launches set to increase, the US Federal Aviation Administration said in November it plans to update its launch and reentry licensing rule. The agency authorised a record 148 commercial space operations in its latest fiscal year and projected the number could more than double in 2028.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX expects as many as 400 launches of its new Starship vehicle over the next four years. The company is scheduled to carry out a test flight of the spacecraft this week.

Flights cannot operate in an area where rocket debris is falling into the atmosphere, and Qantas has avoided the area over the Southern Indian Ocean as advised by the government. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We’re in contact with SpaceX to see if they can refine the areas and time windows for the rocket re-entries to minimise future disruption to our passengers on the route,” Holland said.

Bloomberg

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