SpaceX rocket debris litters Mexico beach, threatens environment

Miles of beaches were littered with garbage and debris following a SpaceX Starship explosion, occurring just before an endangered species of sea turtles began to hatch.

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Debris ranging from large tanks to small chunks of metal and plastic washed up on beaches in Mexico following a SpaceX rocket explosion. (Jesus Elias Ibarra Rodriguez)

Starship is the largest rocket ever launched by SpaceX, but a test flight on May 27 ended in a massive explosion, sending a tremendous amount of debris into the Gulf.

Since the explosion, debris from the uncrewed booster, which was larger than the Statue of Liberty, has been washing up along the beaches of Mexico, revealing the extent of the environmental fallout from the launch.

“I personally inspected 40 kilometers of beach, and the findings were shocking: clearly, millions of plastic fragments are reaching the shoreline. This puts the entire marine ecosystem at high risk, negatively affects local fishing communities, and poses a threat to boats that may collide with the floating tanks,” Conibio Global A.C. posted on Facebook on June 1.

“Without a doubt, our eight years of efforts to protect the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle an endangered species are now facing maximum risk. In just a few days, hatchlings will begin to emerge, and we will be forced to release them on a beach covered in harmful debris, which they might mistake for food,” the post read.

Some of the debris has a “SpaceX” label on it, making it unmistakable where the wreckage originated.

The items range from small pieces of metal and plastic to 4,500-pound tanks that were part of Starship’s fire suppression system.

A piece of debris found on a beach in Mexico with SpaceX written on it. (Conibio Global A.C.)

This is not the first time a SpaceX rocket explosion has left a mark on the environment. In January, a Starship test flight broke apart over the Turks and Caicos with debris washing up on beaches across the region for weeks.

Blue Origin, another rocket company, also conducted a test launch of a large rocket in January, with debris being found in the Bahamas.

The FAA is requiring an investigation into the recent SpaceX Starship explosion.