Starship drifted horizontally after clearing the tower
Shortly after clearing the tower, the 394-foot-tall (120-meter) Starship began to drift horizontally—by a lot. This was likely a consequence of the Raptor failures, but it made for an unsettling sight. Looking at the video above, you can also see a tremendous amount of debris splashing into the ocean. The giant plume produced during the launch was primarily made from dust, sand, and rocks kicked up by the engines, and not engine exhaust (methane fuel barely produces a plume).
