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A SpaceX Starship explosion has temporarily halted progress on the company’s flight testing program after a test rocket erupted in flames at its Starbase facility in Texas late Wednesday. Law enforcement confirmed that no injuries occurred during the incident.
The rocket, identified as Starship 36, experienced a “catastrophic failure and exploded” around 11pm local time (9am PKT Thursday), according to a Facebook post by Cameron County authorities. The test was being conducted on a static stand at the Starbase launch site near the Texas-Mexico border.
SpaceX acknowledged the event, saying the vehicle was undergoing preparations for its tenth flight test when the SpaceX Starship explosion occurred. “The vehicle experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase,” the company stated on social media.
Fortunately, the test area had been cleared in advance, and all personnel were reported safe.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX said.
The company further urged the public to avoid the area while safing operations continue and reassured that surrounding communities are not at risk.
Standing 123 meters tall, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, serving as a cornerstone in Elon Musk’s vision for interplanetary travel and the eventual colonization of Mars.
A String of Setbacks for the Starship Program
This latest mishap adds to a series of setbacks for SpaceX’s ambitious Starship program. In late May, a prototype vehicle exploded over the Indian Ocean. Just days earlier, another test launch on May 27 ended with the Super Heavy booster detonating instead of landing as planned in the Gulf of Mexico.
Previous tests have also failed, with upper stages disintegrating mid-air. These repeated failures underline the complexity and risk involved in developing next-generation spaceflight technology.
While investigations into the cause of the SpaceX Starship explosion are ongoing, the company remains committed to its mission, assuring that stringent safety protocols are in place and operations will continue once all safety conditions are met.
