S33-WC-H34 · Heat-damaged
Molten hex
$5,000
Pay now on PayPal. FedEx after it lands.
The most molten tile in this collection. Face glassed, silica punched through, edge like lava.
- Dimensions
- 10 × 8.8 × 1.6 in
- Weight
- 1.1 lb
- Recovered
- 22 January 2025
- Beach
- Eastern beach, West Caicos
Dossier
These hexes are low-density silica ceramic — essentially very pure quartz sand — designed to survive reentry above 1,400 °C (2,550 °F). SpaceX’s own flame tests put the hottest spots at about 1,650 K. The silica itself begins to soften and glass around 1,600–1,700 °C. This face went past that. The black coating is gone in sheets. White silica is blown through. The leading edge is pitted and fused, not chipped. Ship 33 was moving at over 20,000 kph when it had a rapid unscheduled disassembly on Flight 7; the debris then fell through the atmosphere over the Turks and Caicos. This is what that speed does to a heat tile. Reverse still carries the red factory catch-pin. 479.7 g. Photographed on the stand in the studio, with a hundred for scale.
Silica ceramic. Do not cut, sand, or wet-saw. Handle over a padded surface. Wash hands after handling. Not a toy.
