The mid-air explosion of the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy launch resulted in debris spread over an area over twice as big as Disneyland, some 385 acres, and could have been responsible for a fire that spanned 3.5 acres, according to a study from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The launch pad for the rocket was almost completely obliterated, which resulted in numerous large concrete chunks stainless steel sheets, metal and other objects hurled thousands of feet away the agency said. Additionally, a plume cloud of pulverized concrete deposited materials up to 6.5 miles from the pads site.
A 3.5-acre fire also started south of the pad site on land in Boca Chica State Park, the FWS said, though it did not directly say this was a result of the launch. Debris, the FWS reported, was spread over 385 acres that included both lands owned by SpaceX and Boca Chica.
This is what happens to your launchpad when you think it would be funny to launch to the worlds largest rocket on 4/20, instead of when its ready.
It will probably be at least a year before the FAA will approve another Starship launch. pic.twitter.com/tXytW309a6
Christopher David (@Tazerface16) April 21, 2023
Residents in the area had blasted both SpaceX and local officials before the launch about possible disruptions, saying in a statement Whenever Elon Musk and his accomplices, the Cameron County Commissioners and Texas General Land Office, close Boca Chica beach for his pet project SpaceX, they destroy our native life ways.
The FWS noted that it had not found any dead birds or other wildlife on the National Wildlife Refuge lands, which are near the launch pads. Those areas are designed as a habitat for at least one endangered species of bird.
SpaceX has not commented on the damage to the pad, but Elon Musk, on April 21, tweeted the engines thrust may have shattered the concrete, rather than simply eroding it.
Three years ago, Musk said SpaceX was aspiring to have no flame diverter [at the launchpad], but this could turn out to be a mistake. The day after the launch, he said the company had reversed course and stated building a massive water-cooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount three months ago.
Wasnt ready in time & we wrongly thought, based on static fire data, that Fondag [the heat-resistant concrete that made up the pad] would make it through 1 launch, he said.
Musk added he expected the company could be ready to try again within two months.
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded the SpaceX Starship until it can perform an investigation into the flight.
