A SpaceX Starship explosion erupted at the company’s Starbase launch facility in southern Texas late Wednesday night. It sent a fiery blast into the sky and raised questions about the future timeline of Elon Musk’s interplanetary ambitions.
The explosion occurred during preflight testing of what was expected to be the tenth Starship flight test.
Explosion During Static Fire Test
The incident happened at around 11 p.m. Central Time, during a static fire test, a procedure where the engines are ignited while the spacecraft remains tethered to the ground. According to SpaceX, the Starship vehicle “experienced a major anomaly” while on the test stand.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” the company said in a statement on X.
Footage of the explosion, captured by livestreams and ground-based cameras, showed a massive fireball illuminating the night sky over Starbase, SpaceX’s private spaceport near Boca Chica, Texas.
