Fireball lights up night sky as rocket suffers “major anomaly” ahead of 10th flight test; no injuries reported
A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded during a ground test at the Starbase facility in Texas, marking a significant setback in the rocket's development.
- The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. local time, just before a scheduled flight test.
- No injuries were reported, and SpaceX confirmed a 'major anomaly' during the test.
- The incident highlights the challenges of rocket development, as the company continues to innovate and iterate on its designs.
A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded in a dramatic fireball during a ground test at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas on Wednesday night. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. local time as the vehicle was being prepared for its upcoming tenth flight test.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX confirmed that the rocket “experienced a major anomaly” while on the test stand. The explosion sent a massive fireball into the sky, visible from miles away, though no injuries were reported.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX assured in the statement.
The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation. The Starship system, which SpaceX is developing as a next-generation launch vehicle capable of carrying humans and cargo to the Moon and Mars, has undergone multiple test flights and static fire tests over the past two years. While setbacks have occurred before, such high-stakes testing is a routine part of rocket development.
Despite the dramatic failure, industry observers note that such incidents are expected in early stages of innovation, and SpaceX has a history of rapidly iterating its designs based on test data.
