SpaceX junk or treasure? Starship relic hunter amasses collection of wreckage from liftoffs, crashes

Ron Parker keeps the small pieces on his coffee table. The mishmash of stainless-steel shards, frayed wires, washers and heat tiles recovered after explosions and crashes of SpaceX Starships and prototypes fill the low wooden table, giving his living room the feel of a museum exhibit. On his porch, jagged hunks of shiny steel with razor-sharp edges catch the sun like an outdoor sculpture display. The 4-millimeter thick metal looks as if it was torn as simply as a piece of paper. He calls one section about the size of a car door “Texas” because of its shape. Another rectangular piece that’s 10 feet long he calls the “question mark.” There’s a length of silver pipe with flanges sheared off by an explosion. It was buried so deep the private space company’s workers tried to cut it to retrieve it and gave up. Parker didn’t. Now the relic sits on his porch rail.

Equal parts treasure hunter, space fan, mechanic and adventurer, Parker may have the largest collection of Starship relics outside SpaceX. His expeditions have taken him across the tidal flats and dunes around Boca Chica Beach and more than 200 miles into Mexico. “It turned into obsession,” he says. “Treasure hunting is a lot of fun, especially when you’re finding treasures.” His finds have led to deals with fishermen in cartel territory, troubles with customs at the Southern border and cooperation with SpaceX. He’s made money selling Starship wreckage on Ebay and the side hustle is gaining the semi-retired backhoe operator notoriety among space fans and influencers. The Starship relic market is another business SpaceX’s presence in South Texas has launched, and Ron “Hardrock” Parker is at the forefront.