SpaceX setback: Starship destroyed in fireball
A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded and was engulfed in flames during a late-night ground test at the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas on Wednesday, marking a to Elon Musk’s long-term ambition to send humans to Mars.
The incident occurred just before midnight local time, as engineers conducted preparations for what would have been the vehicle’s tenth test flight.
The spacecraft, situated on a test stand at the Massey’s Testing Center launch site, erupted into a dramatic fireball, according to SpaceX, which confirmed the event in a post on Musk’s platform X.
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – is central to SpaceX’s deep-space goals, including NASA’s Artemis programme.
Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.
While designed for reuse and capable of carrying heavy payloads, the programme has faced a series of technical challenges.
SpaceX has not yet confirmed the cause of the failure or indicated how it might impact upcoming flight plans.
However, the company has historically treated such high-profile mishaps as part of its rapid test-and-iterate development approach.
In a statement, the company said: “On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
“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.”
