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by dmbche 1154 days ago
While I'm not an expert - the article does mention that the cement dust has an impact on soil, and I can imagine that the rocket itself was filled with multiple dangerous and toxic chemicals which were scattered to the wind.

It's probably not Exxon Valdez, but I doubt it's a small deal.
2 comments
btilly 1154 days ago
Actually this is the second cleanest type of fuel possible. (The best being hydrogen.) When they blew it up they released a ton of methane, which is bad for global warming, but otherwise isn't toxic.

Most other rockets have much worse stuff inside.

See https://everydayastronaut.com/rocket-pollution/ if you want to learn more about this topic.

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dmbche 1154 days ago
Oh I was more thinking of coolants and oils, as well as the insulation, and I'm sure there were a lot of heavy metals in there as well.

But thanks for the link!

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btilly 1154 days ago
Believe it or not, the boosters are just built out of stainless steel so that they can survive the heat. Not toxic.

Starship itself uses a silicon-based ceramic for insulation. You wouldn't want to be hit in the head by one of those tiles, but it's unlikely to poison you.

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dmbche 1154 days ago
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/24/spacex-starship-explosion-sp...

Just stumbled upon this - it does seem that the particulate matter scattered for miles is being investigated as being a major health risk to nearby residents and endangered species.

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btilly 1154 days ago
Ah, yes. This is a real issue.

Breathing in non-toxic particles can be bad for you due to the effects of mechanical injury. The classic example is asbestos, completely non-toxic, but the result of how your body attempts to repair damaged cells in your lungs can cause an increased chance of cancer.

This is one of the top concerns of nanotechnology. It could potentially create a lot of grit that we really don't want to breathe...

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dmbche 1154 days ago
You remind me that I heard brake pad particulate was horrible for our health, and highly present in the air in LA as well - another thing to lose sleep to!

Thanks for the chat, have a nice one

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dmbche 1154 days ago
How interesting! I'll definitely look further into it!

Thanks!

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cryptonector 1154 days ago
The exhaust was pretty clean. It might have been a bit engine-rich though, so a bit of copper was probably emitted, but otherwise it was just H2O and CO2.
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