A dramatic explosion lit up the night sky over South Texas as a SpaceX rocket test ended in failure late Wednesday. The blast came from the company＊s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, where engineers were preparing a prototype Starship vehicle for its tenth major test flight.
The explosion took place around 11 p.m. local time while the rocket was still on the test stand. SpaceX later confirmed the vehicle had ※experienced a major anomaly.§ Flames and smoke could be seen shooting high into the sky from miles away, but no injuries were reported.
?SpaceX shared an official update on social media, saying, ※A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.§ The company also said there is no threat to nearby communities and urged residents not to visit the area.
Local emergency officials were informed of the incident, and SpaceX is now working with them to assess any damage. Roads leading to the Starbase facility were closed off soon after the blast, following routine safety protocols.
SpaceX has not yet explained what caused the anomaly but confirmed that the issue occurred while preparing for Starship＊s next flight. Starship is a key part of Elon Musk＊s long-term plans to send humans to the Moon and Mars. It＊s the most powerful rocket ever built and has already gone through multiple test flights since 2020.
This latest version of the rocket was expected to undergo static fire tests, a stage in which engines are fired while the rocket remains on the ground. The explosion now adds a delay to that plan.
Elon Musk has yet to comment publicly on the incident. This? comes during a tense time for Musk, who is reportedly at odds with former President Donald Trump, a shift that could affect future government support for his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
Despite the explosion, SpaceX remains confident in moving forward with its testing schedule. Previous test failures have led to improvements, and the company has often bounced back stronger, like in 2021, when an early Starship prototype exploded during landing, only for the SN15 version to successfully complete its flight and touchdown weeks later. Given this, SpaceX is expected to investigate the failure and make adjustments before attempting another launch.