Turks and Caicos – Last month, SpaceX’s Starship test flight ended in a spectacular explosion over the Caribbean. But while it looked like a scene straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster, the reality for the people of Turks and Caicos has been far from glamorous: they’ve been left picking up chunks of the rocket that landed near their homes, businesses, and beaches.
When the explosion happened, debris filled the sky, forcing flights in the area to be delayed or rerouted for safety reasons. Now, the aftermath of the failed test is becoming clearer to the locals. Residents of the island nation have found all sorts of space junk—ranging from wires to Starship panels—washing up around them. Many locals are baffled by the situation. They love rocket launches, but They think Elon Musk should also be responsible for cleaning this up.
SpaceX initially warned people not to touch or pick up any debris as it could be hazardous. Unfortunately, that message didn’t reach everyone in time. Residents like Kaine from Providenciales had already started collecting pieces of the wreckage before hearing the warning. In fact, she has over 200 pounds of Starship debris stored in her garage, waiting for SpaceX to respond—something that took weeks.
SpaceX has since met with officials from Turks and Caicos, including the nation’s disaster management team and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch. But the only advice given so far? Wear gloves while handling the debris. Not exactly the help locals were hoping for.
As of now, it’s still unclear whether SpaceX will step in to clean up the mess themselves. One thing’s for sure: the people of Turks and Caicos are still waiting—while dealing with space trash that really shouldn’t be their problem.