The mission was to follow a trajectory similar to the previous flight, with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean about an hour after liftoff, to be imaged by a NASA observation aircraft.

This poses significant safety risks, requiring a waiver from aviation authorities and stringent procedures to prevent other aircraft from entering the flight path.

[15] NASA requested an expedited waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to commence practice flights over the Gulf of Mexico and Southwest Texas in early December.

Had the mission successfully entered its intended transatmospheric Earth orbit, it would have attempted an in-space engine relight and deployed ten demisable Starlink "simulators," which were also expected to reenter over the Indian Ocean.

While no injuries were reported, the debris caused minimal damage to infrastructure in Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands,[2][20] and prompted airspace closures in the region for over an hour.

"[24] On February 24, 2025, SpaceX stated that "a harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing" likely caused increased stress on Starship's propulsion system and propellant leaks, resulting in "sustained fires" in the aft section of the vehicle.

[17] On January 25, a Turks and Caicos Islands Government disaster management team and UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch met with representatives from SpaceX to discuss recovery plans for debris.

[27] Local officials were delayed in providing information to the public and speculated about potential health risks associated with handling debris—24 hours after residents had already begun cleanup efforts.

The swift public response stemmed from fears that the debris would be buried by sand, potentially threatening the island’s ecology, a key driver of tourism.