SpaceX’s efforts to push forward with the development of its next-generation launch vehicle faced another hurdle late Wednesday night when its Starship prototype, Ship 36, exploded during a test at the company’s facility in South Texas. The incident occurred at approximately 11 PM Central Time at the Massey Testing Center near the town of Starbase, just before a planned static fire test. The explosion marked yet another setback in the company’s attempts to prepare Starship for routine and eventually manned spaceflights.
According to an official statement by SpaceX, the area was already cleared of personnel as part of regular safety protocol before the scheduled test began. The company confirmed that all staff members were safe and that there were no injuries. The explosion, however, caused widespread damage to the immediate test stand surroundings and triggered multiple fires at the site. Firefighting and safety operations began immediately, with SpaceX urging the public not to approach the area while emergency measures were ongoing.
The test was part of preparations for the 10th flight of Starship, a critical milestone in SpaceX’s roadmap. Earlier in the week, Ship 36 had successfully completed a single-engine static fire. The next step involved loading cryogenic propellants into the vehicle in preparation for a full six-engine static fire. However, during this process, what SpaceX referred to as a “sudden energetic event” led to the complete loss of the spacecraft. The force of the blast was strong enough to be seen and heard from miles away and destroyed the Starship test article entirely.
Initial investigations by SpaceX have pointed to a failure of a pressurized component known as a COPV, or composite overwrapped pressure vessel. This tank, located in the upper section or nosecone of the Starship, contained gaseous nitrogen. Though a final conclusion has not yet been reached, early analysis suggests this component may have caused the explosion. It is worth noting that SpaceX has clarified there is no design overlap between the COPVs used in Starship and those deployed on the company’s Falcon 9 rockets, which have continued to perform consistently.
Authorities and media outlets in Texas reported that no injuries had been registered. The area around the testing site remains under careful supervision. According to SpaceX, the materials used inside Starship had previously undergone independent chemical and biological testing and posed no risk of toxic contamination to nearby communities. The company is working closely with local, state, and federal authorities to ensure all necessary environmental and safety guidelines are followed.
The explosion occurred during a routine engine testing procedure known as a static fire, where the engines are fired while the vehicle is held in place on the ground. These tests are conducted to ensure all engine components are functioning correctly before a launch. The incident has delayed Starship’s 10th test flight, which was initially anticipated to take place before the end of the month. It is currently unclear how long the delay will be, as a thorough inspection and safety assessment must be completed.
Starship is a key part of SpaceX’s long-term plans for deep space missions. With a height of over 400 feet when combined with its Super Heavy booster, Starship is the tallest and most powerful rocket system built to date. The upper stage, referred to simply as Ship, stands at 171 feet tall and is equipped with six Raptor engines. The Super Heavy booster, which forms the first stage, features 33 Raptor engines designed to provide the thrust needed to lift the vehicle from Earth’s surface.
The full system is built to be reusable, a major feature in SpaceX’s design philosophy. The idea is to land both stages back on Earth for refurbishment and reuse, cutting down on costs and increasing launch frequency. Starship is expected to eventually carry cargo and humans to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and even Mars. It has also been selected by NASA for use in the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon.
However, recent test flights of Starship have highlighted the technical challenges still facing the program. SpaceX lost upper stage vehicles in the last three test flights, held in January, March, and May of this year. During each flight, the vehicles failed to complete their missions, ending in fiery disintegration or failed reentry. Despite these failures, each test has contributed valuable data to the development process.
The booster, called Super Heavy, has had better outcomes in some tests. For instance, in Flight 7 and Flight 8, the booster successfully returned to the launch site and was caught using the launch tower’s mechanical arms. However, the upper stage has consistently proven to be the more fragile component of the vehicle, especially during reentry and testing scenarios.
The incident involving Ship 36 is not the first time Starship has exploded during a ground test. The program has seen various types of failures, from engine malfunctions to structural issues. But this latest event differs in that it occurred before the engines were fired, highlighting the risk involved even in pre-launch operations. The vehicle was not even mounted atop the Super Heavy booster at the time of the mishap.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, responded to the explosion on social media with a brief and somewhat dismissive remark, writing, “Just a scratch.” While likely meant as humor, the comment stood in contrast to the seriousness of the explosion and the attention it has drawn. SpaceX has not yet released a full timeline for when testing will resume, though the company had earlier indicated plans to increase the frequency of Starship test launches in the coming year.
SpaceX aims to ramp up operations after receiving approval to conduct up to 25 test flights annually. This is a large increase compared to 2024, which saw only four Starship flights. According to previous statements by Musk, the goal is to reach a point where a Starship flight can take place every three to four weeks. To achieve that, SpaceX has to solve several engineering problems, including orbital refueling, which has never been done before but is crucial for long-duration space travel.
Despite setbacks, SpaceX continues to move forward with its next iterations of Starship. The current version being tested, referred to as “V2,” was said to feature upgrades including reduced dry mass, improved fuel storage, and better engine reliability. A newer version, V3, is also in development, with Musk stating last year that it could support a much faster launch cadence once operational.
The recent explosion serves as a reminder of the risks involved in testing new space technologies. While failures are a part of development, especially for systems as complex as Starship, each incident demands careful review. The cause must be confirmed, and steps must be taken to prevent recurrence. It also shows the difficulty of scaling up from experimental tests to regular, reliable flights that can carry both equipment and eventually human passengers.
Starship remains central to SpaceX’s ambitions. If completed successfully, it could drastically change space transportation by allowing heavier payloads and more frequent missions. For now, though, the path to that goal remains difficult, and the company must address the current technical challenges before moving ahead with the next phase of tests. The latest explosion is a delay, but not necessarily a defeat, in SpaceX’s wider efforts to build a vehicle capable of reaching other planets.
