Elon Musk cannot seem to catch a break. One of Musk’s SpaceX Starships has exploded during a routine test in Texas, authorities said, in the latest setback to the billionaire’s dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species.
SpaceX said the rocket was preparing for the 10th flight test when it “experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase,” without elaborating on the nature of the complication.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX added on social media.
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“There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”
A Facebook post by the Cameron County authorities said that the Starship 36 underwent “catastrophic failure and exploded” at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
A video shared in the post showed the megarocket attached to the launch arm, and then a flash and a towering, fiery explosion.
SpaceX’s Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft designed to transport humans and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Developed by Musk’s private space company SpaceX, Starship represents a major leap forward in space exploration technology. The system consists of two stages: the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster, which provides the thrust needed to escape Earth’s gravity.
Made primarily of stainless steel, Starship is designed for durability and performance. It is powered by SpaceX’s Raptor engines, which use liquid methane and liquid oxygen (methalox) as propellants. This choice allows for potential refueling on Mars using resources found there, supporting Musk’s vision of making life multiplanetary.
Starship is intended to carry up to 100 passengers with applications ranging from satellite deployment to interplanetary missions. It is also a key part of NASA’s Artemis program, with a variant selected to land astronauts on the Moon.
Test flights began in 2019, and while several prototypes have exploded during testing, each test has provided valuable data. SpaceX continues to iterate quickly, with the goal of achieving regular, low-cost, and sustainable space travel. Starship stands as one of the most ambitious aerospace projects in history.
According to the Cameron County authorities, the Starship explosion occurred during a “routine static fire test.”
The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off on May 27 from the Starbase facility, but the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
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The explosion of SpaceX’s Starship 36 is a significant moment but not a major setback for the company or Musk. SpaceX has built its success on rapid prototyping and testing, where failures are expected and even welcomed as learning opportunities. Each launch, successful or not, provides critical data that helps refine design, engineering, and safety systems. While the public nature of such explosions can lead to scrutiny or concern, they also show SpaceX’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology.
Musk has long championed a bold, risk-tolerant approach, and events like this reinforce his belief that innovation requires taking chances. For SpaceX, the bigger picture remains unchanged: advancing toward fully reusable rockets, and enabling human missions to Mars. With strong financial backing, government contracts, and a track record of rebounding from failure, Starship 36’s explosion is a bump on the road to long-term success.