SpaceX Starship Debris Covers 350 Acres, No Wildlife Harmed: Fish and Wildlife Report

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has reported that debris from the SpaceX rocket that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last week covered an area of 350 acres, but no wildlife was killed. The service found that the greatest impact of the explosion was damage to SpaceX’s nearby launchpad caused by the rocket’s booster. Debris was dispersed throughout the 385 acres of land belonging to SpaceX and the Boca Chica state park, and a 3.5-acre fire was also found south of the launch pad within the state park. Jared Margolis, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, has suggested that the service’s count of wildlife fatalities may not be accurate as they were delayed in getting to the park. The test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which is eventually set to carry crew and cargo simultaneously, ended with the spacecraft breaking up in what SpaceX commentators called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded Starship until an investigation can ensure “any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has suggested on Twitter that the company could be ready to launch again in “one or two months.”