After some delays due to boats being too close, SpaceX launched its third Starship on Thursday morning, ending in flames once again. But this time, the rocket made it to space, the first time Starship has done so since its inaugural launch in 2023.
The rocket flew for more than 45 minutes before burning up while reentering the atmosphere.
While Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island is the premier publicly accessible viewing area for Starship launches, some locals come to Highway 48 in between Port Isabel and Brownsville to watch launches without having to pay a fee and without the traffic gridlock of the park.
Starting early Thursday morning, several cars parked along the Bahia Grande along the west side of Highway 48 as hundreds more gathered to the east trying to get a closer look at Starship.
Rio Grande LNG, a gas plant, is under construction nearby. The one-lane-only closure caused a traffic jam, a metaphor for the plant’s eventual operational delays during SpaceX launches.
Some people fished along the banks of the highway, as the regulars here usually do every day. As the launch got underway, the anglers silently pulled out their phones to record the event before going back to their lines.
Starship seemed to only be heard and in view for a few minutes before making its way into orbit. It eventually burned up upon reentry as it aimed toward the Indian Ocean.
The company said Starship successfully completed several scheduled tests, like a fuel transfer and opening and closing the payload door.
Though this launch seemed quieter and less earth-shaking than the previous two, there were still concerns on how Boca Chica Beach is affected by them.
“A great deal of scientific research is really needed to also understand impacts to wildlife like falcons, sea turtles, shorebirds and wild cats like ocelots in the vicinity that experience concussion, vibration and noise in very different ways than humans do,” said Sharon Wilcox, senior Texas representative for Defenders of Wildlife and an expert in ocelot conservation, after watching the launch from Highway 48.
Biologists have documented that SpaceX’s launches have changed the behavior of some shorebird species and have damaged food sources.
Regardless of those effects, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the company is planning another six Starship launches this year.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will oversee a SpaceX-led investigation of Starship’s flame out.
