A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk's flagship rocket program.

The company says that “Starship flew within its designated launch corridor” and “any surviving pieces of debris would have fallen into the designated hazard area.” The falling debris put on a show in the evening sky over the Caribbean and was captured by several tourists who seemed both amazed and slightly anxious about what they were witnessing.

Elon Musk's SpaceX's Starship test flight ended in failure as the spacecraft exploded and broke apart, following a suspected fuel leak in the engine firewall.

The Federal Aviation Administration has paused SpaceX's the launch of its Starship rocket as the U.S. agency oversees an investigation by the private company of the breakup after a test launch Thursday.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is collaborating with SpaceX and other authorities to verify reports of damage to public property on the Turks and Caicos Islands. This investigation follows the dramatic failure of SpaceX’s Starship rocket,

The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation after losing its Starship vehicle and allegedly showering Turks and Caicos with debris, a release from the FAA stated.