SpaceX says debris recovery attempts hindered

27/6/2025 6:21

SpaceX said on Thursday its debris

recovery efforts after last week's Starship explosion have been

hindered and it has sought cooperation from Mexico, whose

president has raised the possibility of legal action against the

company.



A massive Starship spacecraft by SpaceX exploded into a

dramatic fireball during testing in Texas last week, which Elon

Musk's space firm attributed to a "major anomaly."



The Starship rocket appeared to have experienced at least

two explosions in rapid succession, lighting up the night sky

and sending debris flying, according to video capturing the

moment it exploded.



"Despite SpaceX's attempts to recover the anomaly related

debris, which is and remains the tangible property of SpaceX,

these attempts have been hindered by unauthorized parties

trespassing on private property," the company said in a post on

social media platform X.



"We have requested local and federal assistance from the

government of Mexico in the recovery," it said, adding that it

also has offered resources and assistance in the clean-up.



President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that her

administration is investigating the security and environmental

impact of the launch of rockets, particularly for the Mexican

state of Tamaulipas.



A general review is being conducted to determine what

international laws are being violated. "From there, we'll start

a process, because there is indeed contamination," Sheinbaum had

said during a morning press conference.



A Starship spacecraft exploded in space minutes after

lifting off from Texas in March, prompting the FAA to halt air

traffic in parts of Florida, in a setback for Musk's Mars rocket

program.



In January, a Starship rocket broke up in space minutes

after launching from Texas, raining debris over Caribbean

islands and causing minor damage to a car in the Turks and

Caicos Islands.