The Cayman Islands Airports Authority has advised that temporary airspace restrictions associated with SpaceX’s next Starship flight test could disrupt flights to and from Cayman between 15 and 21 July.
Passengers travelling during this period are urged to prepare for possible delays.
The restrictions are associated with SpaceX’s planned 13th Starship flight test from its Starbase facility in Texas.
The company is targeting launch as early as Thursday, 15 July, during a 90-minute window opening at 5.45pm and ending at 7.15pm. If weather or technical issues prevent liftoff, back-up launch opportunities are scheduled daily through 21 July.
Although the spectacle will unfold hundreds of miles away, its flight path crosses airspace in the northwestern Caribbean, requiring the US Federal Aviation Administration’s Space Operations division to temporarily close portions of regional airspace to commercial aircraft while the rocket climbs into space.
Launch and landing trajectory
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s environmental assessment for the Starship launch and landing programme, “The southernmost launch and Super Heavy booster landing trajectory could impact the airspace of Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands would be expected to close their respective airspace.”
Impact on flights
For Cayman, that means the period from approximately 5pm until potentially as late as 8pm could see flight operations temporarily disrupted.
The Cayman Islands Airports Authority said flights departing Grand Cayman after about 5pm, flights arriving from the United States, and Sister Islands services operating during the affected period could all experience delays.
Based on published airline schedules, a launch on 15 July could affect Cayman Airways’ afternoon flight to Miami, American Airlines’ early evening Miami departure, Cayman Airways Express’ service to Cayman Brac and British Airways’ flight to Nassau. Cayman Airways’ evening arrival from Tampa could also be delayed, while later arrivals from Miami may experience knock-on disruptions if aircraft are held before departure.
Passengers travelling during the affected period are being advised to check directly with their airline, arrive at the airport three hours before departure, and allow extra time for possible schedule changes.
This is not the first time a SpaceX launch has had an impact on Cayman flights. In October last year, the liftoff of the rocket on a test flight delayed a Cayman Airways flight from Miami.
The biggest rocket ever built
The launch itself represents another major milestone in SpaceX’s effort to develop a fully reusable spacecraft capable of carrying large payloads, returning astronauts to the Moon and eventually transporting humans to Mars.
Standing more than 400 feet tall, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. The launch system consists of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, both designed to be recovered, refurbished and flown again.
Flight Test 13 will be the second mission to use the larger, more powerful Starship Version 3, which debuted on Flight 12 in May, and will attempt many of the same objectives as its predecessor.
The mission will also mark another first for the programme, carrying 20 next-generation Starlink satellites.
Once deployed, the satellites will unfold their solar arrays and communications equipment before attempting to connect with the rest of the Starlink constellation using laser links. The upgraded satellites are designed to deliver faster internet speeds and expand the network’s overall capacity.
Unlike conventional rockets, which are discarded after a single mission, Starship is intended to operate more like a commercial airliner, flying repeatedly with minimal refurbishment between flights.
Each test flight builds on the last, with SpaceX deliberately pushing the vehicle to its limits, identifying failures and rapidly redesigning systems before trying again.
A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff on the SpaceX X account, @SpaceX. SpaceX said the launch schedule remains subject to change and has asked viewers to follow updates on X.
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