Texas (TDI): A test version of SpaceX’s Starship upper stage exploded late Wednesday night during a planned engine trial at the company’s Starbase site in South Texas.
The blast occurred around 11 pm local time, sending a fireball soaring into the night sky and raising fresh concerns about the timing and safety of Starship’s upcoming 10th test flight.
The explosion happened while SpaceX engineers were getting the spacecraft, often just called “Ship”, ready for what’s known as a static-fire test. That’s a standard step before launch, where the rocket engines are fired up briefly while the vehicle stays firmly held down, helping the team check everything’s working properly.
A video taken by NASA shows the prototype exploding suddenly, a serious anomaly just before the moment of ignition. The test was performed in the Massey building of Starbase, located separately from the primary orbital launch mount.
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
In a statement made on X, SpaceX confirmed the explosion, adding: “A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and everyone is safe and accounted for.”
The company also said, “Our Starbase team is working to secure the test site and the area nearby as soon as possible in coordination with local authorities. There are no dangers to residents in nearby communities.”
This is not the first time it has happened. Earlier versions broke apart during or shortly after their respective test flights; flights 7, 8, and 9. While the Super Heavy booster section has seen indications of progress, such as successful reuse on Flight 9, the upper stage still has development problems.
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Despite this incident, SpaceX remains committed to long-term goals. Potentially the world’s most powerful rocket, the Starship is designed to aid NASA’s Artemis missions and future Mars colonization.
Nevertheless, the SpaceX Starship blast is going to delay the subsequent Flight 10, as SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continue to probe recent anomalies.
With no one hurt and containment procedures quickly established, the company considers this failure in its “test, fail, learn” practice. No new test date has been set, although engineers are already examining data to provide safer and more successful launches in the future.
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