The Tribune

LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ENVIRONMENTALISTS are urging the Davis administration to reconsider its agreement with SpaceX to land rocket boosters in The Bahamas after a Starship rocket exploded, sending debris into Bahamian waters.

In a statement released Thursday night, the government clarified that The Bahamas has no regulatory authority over SpaceX’s Starship operations, which were not part of its agreement with SpaceX’s Falcon programme. 

That programme, already facing environmental pushback, allows around 20 controlled rocket landings in Bahamian waters, the first of which took place successfully in Exuma Sound last month.

Thursday’s failed test flight—the second in two months—has intensified scrutiny of the deal.

Environmental activist Joe Darville told The Tribune on Friday that the agreement should be scrapped following the explosion.

“We cannot run this risk blowing this country to smithereens because some ultra rich people feel like they could use us to their advantage,” he said. “They're using us because they are not inclined to send it over any other country, not even their own at this particular point in time so as environmentalists, I am seriously concerned.”

The explosion was visible throughout The Bahamas, with residents from New Providence to Ragged Island sharing videos on social media. Some likened the fiery destruction to an asteroid.

SpaceX described the failure as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” noting that the 400ft rocket lifted off from Texas around 6.30pm, but SpaceX lost contact before the craft disintegrated less than ten minutes later.

Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation, requiring SpaceX to determine the cause of the failure before another test flight can take place.

The incident also disrupted air traffic in parts of Florida and The Bahamas on Thursday. Lynden Pindling International Airport briefly closed its airspace, delaying two flights before operations resumed.

As of the latest report, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection is overseeing cleanup efforts, with SpaceX recovery crews collecting debris in the southern Bahamas.

Government officials have claimed that the debris contained no toxic materials and was not expected to significantly impact marine life or water quality.

However, Mr Darville said the incident raised serious concerns, questioning the true nature of the debris.

“Anything that actually explodes and burns has certain elements in it that can be very destructive to land and to sea and so, you know, I take everything they're saying about the security of it and how it's going to be handled and what it’s made of, I take it with a huge grain of salt.”

He warned that the risks to marine life—and the potential for catastrophe if a rocket were to fall on land—are too great to ignore.

Other environmentalists who spoke to The Tribune Friday echoed similar concerns but said they needed more information on the broader impact.

A SpaceX report released last month claimed booster landings in The Bahamas would have minimal effects on marine life, water quality, and local ecosystems. However, environmentalists argue that the report is insufficient and does not replace a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

In worst-case scenarios, SpaceX said its emergency response plan includes salvaging floating debris and sinking larger pieces that are unsafe to collect. A SpaceX vessel would be stationed on-site for immediate response, with the company covering all recovery costs.

The Davis administration has said it will remain engaged with SpaceX and continue monitoring the situation to ensure proper recovery efforts.