A SpaceX Starship rocket blew up in a massive fireball late Wednesday night during a test at the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas.
The explosion happened around 11 p.m. during a static fire test — a routine procedure where engines are fired without launching the rocket. SpaceX blamed a “major anomaly” for the blast.
No one was hurt.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX said in a statement on X.
The company added: “Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. 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.”
The Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, is key to Elon Musk’s long-term plans to send humans to the Moon and Mars. This failure is a blow to those ambitions, coming just before the rocket’s planned tenth uncrewed test flight.
It also lands as SpaceX pushes hard in Washington for more NASA and military launch contracts. Watch the video below:
