SpaceX’s efforts to retrieve debris from its destroyed rocket have been severely hindered by trespassers, the company said this week.

In an X post on Thursday, SpaceX said it is still in the process of recovering fragments of its Starship that exploded during testing last week. The company said its staff are focused on recovering specific parts of the rocket that could explain why Starship exploded.

“Despite SpaceX’s attempts to recover the anomaly-related debris, which is and remains the tangible property of SpaceX, these attempts have been hindered by unauthorized parties trespassing on private property,” SpaceX wrote in an X post.

SpaceX added that it has reached out to local and federal authorities in Mexico for assistance and has offered to help in cleanup operations.

“SpaceX looks forward to working with the Mexican Government and local authorities for the return of the debris as soon as possible,” SpaceX continued.

The company’s flagship Starship rocket exploded on its platform during routine testing last week in Texas. SpaceX has blamed the explosion on a “major anomaly” but has not gotten into specifics. Last week’s accident marks the third Starship explosion this year.

The explosions have caught the attention of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has launched a comprehensive investigation into the security and environmental impact of SpaceX’s activities on her country. The president has said debris from SpaceX launches has peppered Mexico’s territory on sea and land, particularly near the state of Tamaulipas.

“There is indeed contamination,” Ms. Sheinbaum said.

SpaceX has denied that its Texas launch facility poses any environmental issues, stating that independent tests have found the launches to be environmentally safe.

“There are no hazards to the surrounding area. Previous independent tests conducted on materials inside Starship, including toxicity analyses, confirm they pose no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks,” SpaceX wrote on X. ”And as is the case before any test, a safety zone was established around the test site and was maintained throughout the operation.”

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.