Debris from Elon Musk's Starship Rocket Visible Across Cuba

In an unexpected spectacle, debris from the Starship rocket, developed by SpaceX, was observed from various parts of Cuba, capturing the attention of residents and astronomy enthusiasts across the island. Among those who witnessed the event was meteorologist Henry Delgado Manzor, who documented his experience on social media.

"I had the opportunity to witness an extraordinary event from the Varadero International Airport," Delgado Manzor shared. "At an altitude of approximately 170 kilometers, I saw the passage of the Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful in the world, created by the aerospace company SpaceX. The launch occurred just minutes ago from the Boca Chica base in Texas. It was a spectacular sight for space and aerospace industry enthusiasts," he wrote on Facebook.

The brilliant display of the rocket was reported in several Cuban provinces, especially in the eastern region. Social media was abuzz with users sharing images and videos of the phenomenon, expressing their astonishment and curiosity. One user questioned, "What is this thing?" while another commented, "This just passed through the sky, right now." From the northern part of Holguín city, someone exclaimed, "What the heck is this? Visible from the Central Highway."

The shared images depict a luminous occurrence in the sky, characterized by bright flashes seemingly disintegrating in the atmosphere. Some photos capture an intense glow between clouds and mountains, while others show the scene from urban areas, featuring buildings, electric poles, and cars in the foreground.

Starship's Mission to the Moon and Mars

Starship is acclaimed as the most powerful rocket ever built, playing a crucial role in Elon Musk's ambitious plans for future missions to the Moon and Mars. In its latest test, the spacecraft reached unprecedented altitudes and gathered essential data for its development. The sightings in Cuba were possible due to the rocket's altitude and atmospheric illumination.

According to the Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC), Starship's liftoff was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (Cuban time) from SpaceX's Boca Chica base in Texas. If successful, the spacecraft would become visible between 11 and 13 minutes afterward, looking northwest at approximately 315 degrees on a mobile compass, which indeed occurred.

Eddie Irizarry, vice president of SAC, noted, "Once confirmed that it took off, it could be visible between 11 and 13 minutes later by looking northwest or about 315 degrees on the cell phone compass," according to a report by Univision.

This flight followed the failed seventh test of the rocket on January 16, 2025, which ended in an explosion over the Atlantic Ocean. During that incident, although SpaceX managed to recover the booster, communication with the spacecraft was lost in space. Later, several witnesses in the Caribbean reported observing flashes in the sky, corresponding to the re-entry of the rocket's debris into Earth's atmosphere.