Meet some of the most hardcore SpaceX fans From CNN's Jackie Wattles Spectators are seen at "The Outpost," a Starship viewing location set up by the local Rocket Ranch, near Boca Chica beach in Texas. (Anthony Gomez) Most of the public at today’s launch watched from South Padre Island, which lies about five miles away from the launch site across the water. But one group of hardcore fans got a bit closer to see the rocket, which took off from a launch pad on the southern coast of Texas on Thursday at 9:28 a.m. ET, but exploded midair a few moments later. They gathered at a place aptly named Rocket Ranch — which was created for SpaceX aficionados. And the camping site — which is just 20 minutes from the launch pad near Boca Chica Beach — is frequented by hobbyists who follow every Starship development with fervid enthusiasm. When CNN visited on Tuesday ahead of the launch, guests were hanging out in the communal on-site cabin, watching a YouTube channel that streams a view of Starship 24/7. Some of them, engineers in their day job, speculated about the valve issue that plagued Monday’s launch attempt. Anthony Gomez, a managing partner at the ranch, was the ringleader of the festivities. He hired caterers, checked in the guests that set up tents on free patches of land and reserved buses that trucked the Rocket Ranch guests to a viewing site called “The Outpost.” It lies just 3.8 miles from the launch pad. The viewing site was so close to the pad that patrons had to sign waivers. “I voluntarily assume all risks associated with viewing rocket launches on Rocket Ranch property, including the risk of physical and emotional harm,” the waiver reads. Guests had to arrive by bus on Wednesday evening because the surrounding roads were blocked off ahead of the launch to keep people out of the area. Otherwise, the only way to access “The Outpost” is by a small pontoon boat in the Rio Grande River. Rocket Ranch guests came from all over the US — states like Colorado and Alabama — and the world, including Canada, France and Germany. So what was it like to watch Starship launch today? “Incredible. I cried like a baby,” Gomez said. Link Copied! NASA administrator says SpaceX launch is "a good start," but more work needs to be done NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that the launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket is “a good first step.” “It looks like they got through the first stage of this big monster rocket. That’s a real accomplishment. We’ll get a report on what happened to the second stage, but I’m very encouraged that they’ve gotten along this far,” Nelson told CNN. The most powerful rocket ever built took off from a launch pad in Texas on Thursday morning, but it exploded midair before stage separation. Starship will eventually need to refuel while in orbit, he explained. “They have a long way to go, but this is a good start,” Nelson said. Nelson said today’s launch and subsequent explosion doesn’t affect the goal of putting people back on the moon in the next few years. “This is the way SpaceX goes about. They test this stuff. They run it hard. Sometimes it blows up,” he said. Link Copied!