SpaceX’s Starship Vehicle Explodes During Test at South Texas Site
South Texas—SpaceX encountered a significant setback during a test of its Starship upper stage on Wednesday night, June 18. The vehicle was destroyed in an explosion shortly before a planned static-fire test at the company’s Starbase facility. Video footage captured the dramatic incident, which resulted in a massive fireball illuminating the Texas sky.
The explosion occurred at approximately 11 p.m. local time, with the company promptly acknowledging the situation on social media. "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," SpaceX stated. Officials are currently managing the site to ensure safety for local residents and prevent unauthorized access during cleanup operations.
SpaceX is developing Starship, touted as the largest and most powerful rocket ever constructed, to facilitate humanity’s ambitions of colonizing Mars. The vehicle consists of a first-stage booster, Super Heavy, and a 171-foot upper-stage spacecraft. The failed test involved the upper stage, dubbed Ship, which experienced issues while static-fire tests—standard prelaunch preparations—were being conducted.
This incident marks the latest in a series of challenges for the Starship upper stages. Recent test flights have seen Ship break apart, raising concerns about the future of the program. While Super Heavy has shown more reliability, emerging issues still surround the ongoing investigation into prior test flights, overseen by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
With no official target launch date currently established for the next Starship flight, SpaceX is focused on resolving the issues highlighted by Wednesday night’s explosion and moving forward with its ambitious plans for space exploration.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
