--- title: "SpaceX’s Botched Starship Launch Left Wildlife Officials Stunned" description: "Debris from the rocket's obliterated launchpad was blasted up to half a mile from the launchpad, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service." date: "2023-08-26" modified: "2023-08-26" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starship-wildlife-officials-stunned" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX’s Botched Starship Launch Left Wildlife Officials Stunned ![Debris from the rocket's obliterated launchpad was blasted up to half a mile from the launchpad, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.]() *Debris litters the ground on April 22, 2023, after the SpaceX Starship liftedoff on April 20 for a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. - The rocket successfully blasted and the Starship capsule had been scheduled to separate from the first-stage rocket booster three minutes into the flight but separation failed to occur and the rocket blew up. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) \Image: PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images\* ## Local Carnage When SpaceX's [Starship exploded midair]() just minutes into its first orbital flight attempt in April, the real impact was felt on the ground before it even took to the skies. The sheer force of the most powerful rocket in the world obliterated its own launchpad, and the fallout that followed stunned wildlife officials in the area, some of whom suspected that they were prevented from initially investigating the launch site, [*Bloomberg* reports](). Chris Perez, a biologist at the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), described the carnage this way in an email obtained by *Bloomberg*: "The \[launchpad\] explosion was so extensive it sent concrete chunks flying into the surf." Some of these chunks were found as far as a half mile from the launchpad, according to FWS documents examined by *Bloomberg*. The debris field, spanning 385 acres, was riddled with craters; a resulting [fire swallowed three and a half of them](), incinerating bird eggs and land crabs. At one point, FWS officials were confused why they weren't allowed on a beach on the site, while a sea turtle conservationist group had been. A senior SpaceX employee's only explanation was that the group was conducting a survey outside the hazardous area. ## Deflected Measures By now, it's well documented that SpaceX [failed to implement industry standard measures]() that would have dampened the forces of Starship's launch. One way is to install a flame diverter that redirects the exhaust of a rocket away from the launchpad. Another is a water deluge system, which uses water to absorb the impact. Had SpaceX used either of these — which it now is — the damage to the launchpad could likely have been avoided. But who's to blame for blowing off these safety standards? The company's CEO Elon Musk is a good guess. Per *Bloomberg*, Musk was "pretty confident" that the launchpad wouldn't need a flame trench. But Perez, who is by no means a rocket scientist, had seen the writing on the wall: "They need a flame diverter or flame trenches and a water deluge system!" ## Failure to Launch As the old adage goes, you reap what you sow. Starship's launchpad "was totally destroyed and will likely force them to re-design the whole thing," Perez said in an email to a US Department of Interior attorney. "Probably won't see another launch for a while," he added — presciently, as it would turn out. Soon after the launch, [the Federal Aviation Administration grounded Starship]() as it conducted a "mishap investigation." And that hasn't changed. At the end of last month, the FAA [put the kibosh on hopes of another launch]() happening anytime soon, as it's still waiting for SpaceX to cough up its plans to avoid environmental damage during its next launch. **More on SpaceX:** *[The Department of Justice Just Sued SpaceX]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()