NASA tests methane-oxygen blasts to map launch danger zones

NASA, Space Force, and the FAA are conducting controlled detonations of methane-oxygen (methalox) rocket fuel to measure blast effects and refine danger-area analyses as launches become more frequent. The program starts with baseline C-4 tests, adds unmixed methane/LOX tests, and will scale up to mixed-propellant explosions at progressively larger weights (from 2,000 to 20,000 pounds) to extrapolate hazards for huge rockets like SpaceX’s Starship, with findings guiding future site safety and operating procedures.