Royal Caribbean ship under investigation for stopping SpaceX rocket launch

Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest and newest cruise ship, sails into Southampton, UK.

Harmony of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, sailed too close to the ‘no-go zone’ of a SpaceX rocket launch, causing the launch to be aborted.

An investigation has been opened by the US Coast Guard of the incident as a SpaceX operator called off the mission about 30 seconds before the Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to take off on Sunday evening.

“We can confirm the cruise ship was Harmony of the Seas,” US Coast Guard spokesperson David Micallef told Florida Today in a statement.

“The Coast Guard is actively investigating Sunday’s cruise ship incursion and postponement of the SpaceX launch.”

Port Canaveral CEO, John Murray, told Florida Today that it was an “isolated incident” which happened “outside of our control.”

Murray confirmed to Florida Today that the US Coast Guard was conducting a full investigation.

Royal Caribbean are yet to respond to a request for comments by Travel Weekly.

The Harmony of the Seas cruise liner is 1,188 feet (362.10m) long, 215.5 feet (65.68m) wide, and can host more than 6,600 guests across 18 decks, according to the Royal Caribbean website.

SpaceX’s attempt on Sunday was the fourth consecutive day that the aerospace manufacturer tried to launch the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2 mission.

The mission involves sending an observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency into space.

The rocket was finally launched on Monday, making it the fourth launch in one month.

Elon Musk’s firm has the goal of launching 52 missions in 2022, or four rockets each month. This launch put it on track to meet that goal.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]