The October launch involved some ‘scary sh-t,’ staff told Musk.
SpaceX launched its fifth-ever test flight from South Texas earlier this month, impressing viewers when the rocket’s first stage booster returned back to the launch pad with the help of mechanical arms known as “chopsticks.” But behind the scenes, SpaceX staff worried the rocket might crash.
In a video Elon Musk posted to X Friday of him playing a video game, the SpaceX CEO is being briefed by staff about the potential fallout of a misconfiguration, Reuters space reporter Joey Roulette first spotted.
“I want to be really upfront about scary sh-t that happened,” an unidentified staff member can be heard saying. “We had a misconfigured stem gas support that didn’t have quite the right ramp up time for bringing up stem pressure, and we were one second away from that tripping and telling the rocket to abort and try to crash into the ground next to the tower.”
SpaceX ultimately achieved its goals for the launch, though the briefing also drew Musk’s attention to a cover ripping off the booster, which staff suggested could have damaged critical equipment. But the video provides an unusual behind-the-scenes look at how close the launch was to a haphazard end and causing additional alarm to nearby residents.
Even though SpaceX pulled off the launch as intended, the South Texas Environmental Justice Network said the community was “distraught by the negative impacts of the launch” and frustrated with the “lack of concern for public safety and health.”
Originally, Starship’s fifth flight was expected to be delayed until November so that an environmental analysis could be completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But SpaceX ultimately received a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration and held the test Oct. 13.
That day was a Sunday, and it appears Musk took his day of rest seriously. In response to staff updating him on the situation, Musk casually said in the video, “yikes.” And when Musk posted the video, he shared concern that his game involved “too much time spent killing minions vs elites.”
Now, SpaceX is busy preparing for its sixth Starship launch and conducting tests on its “Super Heavy” booster.
Meanwhile, residents in the Rio Grande Valley are on guard over the land and water affected by Starship tests. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is holding a meeting Nov. 14 in Brownsville to review a wastewater permit that SpaceX is seeking to discharge directly to Texas’ southernmost bay. Known simply as “South Bay” the body of water is thought to have “exceptional aquatic life use” and is connected to the Laguna Madre, where the National Park Service warns that inappropriate use or development of the lagoon or adjacent lands would be “unwise.”
A TCEQ review determined the permit won’t result in significant degradation of water quality, according to a meeting notice. Still, the neighboring community is planning to speak out against the permit.
In a post calling for people to argue against it, the South Texas Environmental Justice Network said “SpaceX continues to threaten our wildlife, our community, and well being.”
