From test flight explosions to eBay: Selling SpaceX Starship fragments
From eBay to Facebook Marketplace, sellers are trying to make thousands of dollars off debris from failed SpaceX Starship test flights.
While the mega rocket has been successful in its last two launches, previous test flights ended in explosions, with many people across the country claiming to have discovered fragments of the rocket on land.
Research chemist Ken Kremer warns the pieces could be dangerous.
"Right after the launch — and the explosion — when it first falls into the water, it can be very toxic," Kremer said. "There are a lot of toxic propellants and adhesives that they use and other materials. So you don’t want to touch that."
Video below: SpaceX delivers four astronauts to the International Space Station just 15 hours after launch
Some listings on eBay are selling tiles for nearly $3,500. One sale ended with a
"I don’t think it’s worth anything," Kremer said. He added that it’s difficult to prove their authenticity, but most tiles will have serial numbers on them.
A man from Cocoa Beach, Florida, is selling 75 pieces of what he said is heat shield material from fin hinges for $995.
"The best thing is to call law enforcement and give it to them, and then you’ll find out if it’s real or not," Kremer said. "That’s going to be helpful scientifically to figure out why it fell there and what happened to it on burnup."
He said learning why certain pieces landed in specific spots could help prevent future issues.
