A major explosion occurred during a routine engine test at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, late Tuesday night (local time), destroying a prototype of the company’s Starship rocket. The incident happened during a static fire test involving Ship 36, one of the advanced iterations of the rocket under development for future deep space missions.
Explosion Seen for Miles
The blast, which took place shortly after the rocket was fueled, created a massive fireball and plumes of smoke that were visible across several miles. Residents nearby reported hearing a loud boom and feeling the ground shake.
Several buildings near the test site also experienced minor vibrations, though no injuries or structural damage to the community were reported.
Emergency response teams and SpaceX safety crews were already stationed nearby as part of standard protocol.
The situation was brought under control swiftly, with fire personnel working overnight to cool the surrounding equipment and infrastructure.
Prototype Destroyed, Launch Timeline Affected
ANOMALY! Just before Ship 36 was set to Static Fire, it blew up at SpaceX Masseys!
Live on X and YT:https://t.co/GPjZIX1Zyd pic.twitter.com/CfZhDeSGae
— NSF – NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) June 19, 2025
The rocket, Ship 36, was part of SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to test and refine its Starship launch system, which is intended for future lunar and Mars missions.
The static fire test was supposed to simulate engine ignition while the vehicle remained grounded.
SpaceX later confirmed that the rocket was lost in the explosion.
While no engine ignition occurred, the anomaly took place during the pressurization and fueling process.
As a result, the scheduled test flight for later this month has been postponed.
Company Response and Next Steps
In a brief statement, a SpaceX spokesperson said:
“Our teams are reviewing the data to understand what caused the anomaly. Safety systems worked as intended, and no injuries occurred.”
This is not the first time a Starship prototype has been lost during testing.
The company has adopted a rapid development approach, which includes repeated testing, frequent design changes, and learning from failures.
Engineers are now focusing on the next-generation Starship V3, which is expected to be more resilient and capable of more frequent launches.
The Bigger Picture
Despite occasional setbacks, SpaceX continues to make progress with its Starship program, which is central to the company’s future plans.
The system is designed to eventually carry humans and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Starship has also been selected by NASA for future lunar missions under the Artemis program.
Experts note that failures during testing are not uncommon, especially when developing new technologies.
What matters, they say, is how these companies adapt and improve.
SpaceX has previously bounced back quickly from test anomalies and is expected to do the same here.
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