Qantas delays flights to avoid SpaceX rocket parts

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Qantas has been forced to delay flights between Australia and South Africa after the US government warned the airline about the risk of parts of a SpaceX rocket re-entering the atmosphere over the southern Indian Ocean.

Australia’s flag carrier said on Tuesday it had suspended several flights between Sydney and Johannesburg over the past few weeks, with delays lasting between one and six hours.

Ben Holland, head of operations at Qantas, said parts of a rocket owned by Elon Musk had recently re-entered the atmosphere. SpaceX “Turned around at late notice”, forcing the airline to delay some flights shortly before their scheduled departure.

He added: “We are contacting SpaceX to see if they can refine the area and time window for rocket re-entry to minimize future disruption to our passengers en route.”

Few airlines fly across the remote South Indian Ocean, but Qantas Since the early 1950s South has operated an Africa-to-Australia service — known as the Wallaby Route.

It is a route regularly used by tourists, South Africans living in Australia and mining industry executives.

The Federal Aviation Administration, the US regulator, licenses all commercial space rocket launches and re-entry within the US, as well as those operated by American companies abroad.

Rocket launchers are usually carefully calibrated to ensure non-reusable parts splash down in remote areas of the ocean. The exact location will depend on the flight, aircraft and ships will be asked to avoid the re-entry zone.

Qantas’ warning comes as launch rates are expected to increase significantly as several new rockets enter the market.

Last year, rocket launch attempts totaled a record 259 hits worldwide, with 256 proving successful.

SpaceX accounts for more than half of that number and is expected to ramp up launches this year as it brings its giant Starship rocket into service. This week, it is expected to make its seventh test flight although the date was earlier pushed back.

Rival rocket company Blue Origin, backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is also set to fly its New Glenn rocket in the coming days after canceling its maiden flight on Monday due to an icing problem.

There have been cases when parts outside of the containment zone have returned to Earth. Last year, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 was grounded after three incidents of parts re-entering outside the controlled splashdown zone.

Shares in Qantas fell 2 percent after revealing flight delays in Australia.

SpaceX has been contacted for comment.