At around 11p.m on Wednesday, SpaceX’s Starship exploded as it prepared for its tenth flight test at SpaceX’s Starbase in southern Texas.
In an X post on Wednesday, SpaceX attributed the event to a “major anomaly” and said that their “team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials.” No one was injured in the massive explosion, according to SpaceX.
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…
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 19, 2025
According to the livestream video of the incident, the rocket experienced at least two explosions, one after the other, before debris rained down on the surrounding area. SpaceX reassured that there were no casualties and residents in the nearby communities will not experience any hazards.
Tech-titan and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk weighed in on X, where he joked that the explosion was “just a scratch.”
Just a scratch
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2025
The Starship rocket system is essential to Musk’s ambition to put humans on Mars and this event is only the latest in a series of setbacks.
In May, the Starship spun out of control halfway through its flight without accomplishing some of its testing goals. Two months before that, the rocket exploded in space just minutes after lifting off from Texas.
Of this latest failure, Musk said that “preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure. If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design.”
Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure.
If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2025