The article is largely based on comments from Phil Metzger, who definitely knows a thing or two about launch pad design and debris thrown out by thrust impacting surface features like the lunar regolith.

no. its perfectly reasonable to criticize this instance. They saw it coming and ignored it, other people saw it and called it out too.

"pure unadulterated success" is just willful ignorance, there is a world where the launch goes well AND the surrounding area and equipment doesnt get wrecked

One of those that called it out before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35590279

Wow, this is incredible. The bit near the end that there was no deluge/flame trench turned out to be spot on.

A success until someone dies?

They broke their rocket with this plan, it is not unreasonable to assume they could have damaged it in other ways to turn a mostly controlled situation into one that sends a (very) low altitude ballistic missile into a populated area.

They need their permits pulled until they can act responsibly.

I'd be willing to bet they'll have a proper flame trench for the next launch so this won't be a major issue going forward.

That's an odd bet to make, considering SpaceX don't have any plans to build a flame trench. They plan instead to build a "flame-plate"; basically a flame trench without the trench, just the deluge system.

There has been conflicting info, but there's also a prediction market bet on it: https://manifold.markets/Mqrius/will-spacex-build-a-flame-tr...

There's no room for a trench there. They're only a couple feed above water there.

Well you can always go up with the whole installation. Its expensive but possible.

This is such low-effort muckraking in an effort to criticize anything and everything Musk. Instead of celebrating the massive engineering achievement of Starship, I read article after article everyday about how the launch blew over an anthill and the world is irreparably worse off for it.

I thought the article was pretty tame. More on the side of exageration to grab eyeballs than a hit piece.

I didn’t view it that way—they’re reporting on an event that spurred an FAA investigation. I’d hardly call that muckraking.

It's not really a criticism to note the launchpad is completely destroyed. That's an event that happened.