A new launch pad failure mode: Analysis of fine particles from the launch of the first Starship orbital test flight

Abstract

This study examines the characteristics, composition, and origin of fine particle debris samples collected following the launch of the first Starship orbital test flight, which suggests a new launch pad failure mode previously unknown. Particle shapes, sizes, bulk densities, and VIS/NIR/MIR spectra, of collected fine particle material from Port Isabel, TX, were analyzed and compared to pulverized concrete, Fondag (high temperature concrete), limestone, and sand recovered from the area near the Starship launch pad after this test flight. Raman spectroscopy was also used to determine mineral compositions of each sample. Results suggest that the fine particle material lofted by the Starship launch is consistent with sand derived from the launch site. These results imply that the destruction of the launch pad eroded and lofted material into the air from the underlying sandy, base-layer. From calculations, this lofted material likely remained suspended in the air for minutes following the launch from recirculation, allowing for transport over an extended range. Most of the recovered material was too coarse to be a respiration hazard, as a small mass fraction of the particles (<1%) had diameters of 10 um or less. Video analysis and ballistic models also provide insight into the failure mechanism associated with the launch pad, which was consistent with a high-pressure eruption from the region below the failed launch pad.