Starship Flight 11 Debris & COPV FOUND revealed What Exactly Happened...
Starship Flight 11 Debris & COPV FOUND revealed What Exactly Happened...
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Starship Flight 11 Debris & COPV FOUND revealed What Exactly Happened...
Just days after Starship Flight 11, several COPVs from Booster 15 were quickly discovered washed up on a beach in Mexico, their unusually intact condition offering a rare glimpse into the booster’s unique design. However, these tanks, along with most of the remaining structure after the explosion, have sunk into the Gulf, suggesting SpaceX will likely need to step in to recover them and prevent any potential international legal complications.
So, what’s SpaceX going to do next?
Let’s find out on today’s Alpha Tech.
Starship Flight 11 Debris & COPV FOUND revealed What Exactly Happened..
On the 16th, SpaceX released previously unseen footage from Starship Flight 11, captured by drones, showing the last Super Heavy Block 2 Flight, with Booster 15, splashing down into the ocean.
Honestly, they could have called it “Super Strong” or “Super Light,” because the close-up footage shows the booster descending incredibly smoothly. By firing just 3 of its 33 engines, it hovered for about 10 seconds before running out of fuel and falling freely into the water.
Of course, SpaceX cut out what came next, the massive explosion. Flames shot high into the air as thousands of debris pieces, including COPVs, scattered everywhere, turning the ocean into a chaotic scene.
Just two days later, one of those COPVs from B15 washed up on the shores of Playa Bagdad, Mexico, only about 30 to 40 kilometers south of Starbase. Local residents quickly spotted it and notified the authorities.
Starship Flight 11 Debris & COPV FOUND revealed What Exactly Happened...
From the images, the COPV was massive, about 3 meters tall. Remarkably, despite the explosion, it appeared mostly intact, with only a few large scratches on its surface. This shows just how durable it is, thanks to hundreds of layers of composite protecting the internal tank, which holds gas at extremely high pressure, around 500 to 600 bar in Starship, to pressurize the liquid methane and oxygen tanks. The composite layer is designed to prevent the tank from exploding under such pressures. What’s especially critical is its placement directly above the Raptor engine system, where it helps ignite the engines. This is essential for restarting Raptor engines during key flight phases, like the boostback burn and landing burn. Without the COPV, Super Heavy couldn’t perform these maneuvers reliably.
After confirming that it posed no environmental risk or hazard to maritime traffic, Profepa and the Civil Protection authorities removed the COPV by truck. While its final destination isn’t clear, this piece of evidence could be crucial if any legal action arises.
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