--- title: "Watch Dirt Spray Up as Starship Debris Lands Next to Camera" description: "SpaceX's SN11 Starship explosion showed up as debris raining down from the skies in livestreams. Even a tree got chopped in half." date: "2021-03-30" modified: "2021-03-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-sn11-starship-debris" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Watch Dirt Spray Up as Starship Debris Lands Next to Camera ![SpaceX's SN11 Starship explosion showed up as debris raining down from the skies in livestreams. Even a tree got chopped in half.]() *\Image: NASASpaceFlight\* ## Orange Cloud SpaceX [launched yet another full-scale prototype]() of its Mars-bound Starship early Tuesday morning at its test facilities in Boca Chica, Texas. Thanks to heavy fog, we had to watch the ensuing explosion in the form of a lit up orange cloud. The team at *NASASpaceflight*, who had set up remote cameras to record the events, are now reviewing the footage — and it's not pretty. ## Rain of Debris The website's footage shows large chunks of debris raining down on the ground, spraying up dirt and likely hitting a tripod and a solar panel they had set up to power the camera. Even a nearby yucca appears to have taken a direct hit. https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1376885901847113731 ## Setbacks So what caused SN11 to hit the ground hard and explode? At this point, we can only speculate. "Looks like engine 2 had issues on ascent and didn’t reach operating chamber pressure during landing burn, but, in theory, it wasn’t needed," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explained in [a tweet about SN11's explosion](). "Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start," he added. "Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today." But Musk, as always, is optimistic. "A high production rate solves many ills," the billionaire wrote in [a tweet]() replying to his company's official stream. "At least the crater is in the right place!" Luckily, SpaceX's early "Hopper" prototype from last year survived yet again. "For those wondering: yes, Hopper is OK." *NASASpaceflight* reporter Tyler Gray [wrote in a tweet](). "More proof that Hopper is immortal." **More on Starship:** *[Starship Prototype Launches in Heavy Fog, Blows Up Dramatically]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()