--- title: "It Looks Like Starship Chunks Are Washing Up on Beaches" description: "Pieces of what appear to be heat shield tiles from SpaceX's explosive Starship orbital test launch keep appearing on beaches in Texas." date: "2023-05-12" modified: "2023-05-12" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-tiles-washed-up" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "texas" - "the digest" --- # It Looks Like Starship Chunks Are Washing Up on Beaches ![Pieces of what appear to be heat shield tiles from SpaceX's explosive Starship orbital test launch keep appearing on beaches in Texas.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Tile Me Up About seven miles away from SpaceX's Starbase launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas, pieces of what appear to be heat shield tiles from the company's latest [failed Starship launch]() appear to have been found washed up on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. A Twitter user who goes by the handle "Bubba Gucci" [posted a series of photos]() of what look to be broken pieces of Starship heat shield tile that he said he found when walking along the shore on South Padre Island. "Starship pieces are extremely \[lightweight\] and shapable by just the tossing of the waves in some cases," the [user posted]() alongside a photo of him holding one of the alleged pieces. "Many pieces you find are unidentifiable if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but the foam has its own distinct tint. Maybe it has slightly yellowed in the sun." https://twitter.com/bubbagucci/status/1656504871502192643 ## No Comment While SpaceX hasn't quite confirmed that those pieces or any others found after Starship's [explosive 4/20 orbital test]() — and yes, we did ask the company for comment, but given that CEO Elon Musk is known for [dissolving PR departments](), we're not necessarily expecting an answer — prior reporting and the [co-signing of University of Texas aerospace scientist Chris Combs]() leads us to believe that these are likely the real deal. Just a few days after the intentionally-exploded Starship launch, the [*CollectSpace* blog reported]() that people had already begun finding similar-looking pieces of debris on the same beach where Bubba Gucci found dozens of alleged tiles — and that SpaceX had issued a call for people to call a dedicated recovery hotline or get in contact via email in order to get the debris back to the company. Building the case, video drone operator and SpaceX enthusiast Joe Tegtmeyer also [tweeted about finding heat tile pieces](), and in a [follow-up post]() said he'd spoken with the company with information about where and when he'd found it. To his end, Bubba Gucci says that as of this week, South Padre Island is veritably swimming in the probably Starship debris. "There is no way to not find these," [he tweeted](). "They’re everywhere, up and down the island." **More on SpaceX:** [*Elon Musk Says Starship Generated an Unexpected "Rock Tornado"*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()