On this particular test flight, as Starship positioned itself for atmospheric re-entry, one of its 13 engines failed to ignite. Shortly after, a booster appeared to explode, leading to a complete loss of control. The rocket ultimately broke apart over the Indian Ocean, which tonnes of debris will now call home.

All of SpaceX’s Texas operations — including the explosion during Wednesday’s engine test — take place at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, a beachside community near Brownsville. The site sits along the Gulf of America, about 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.