One of SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicles exploded during a test late Wednesday night in Texas, as the company was preparing for its tenth test flight of the powerful rocket system.
SpaceX Confirms Safety of Personnel, Cause of Explosion Still Unknown
In a statement on X, SpaceX confirmed that “all personnel are safe and accounted for,” and assured that “there are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities.” The company has not yet disclosed the cause of the explosion.
It’s currently unclear how this incident might affect the timeline for Starship’s development. According to a recent FAA advisory, the tenth test flight could have taken place as early as June 29.
In a post seemingly referencing the explosion, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk downplayed the event, calling it “just a scratch.”
Over the past few years, SpaceX has been rapidly developing the 171-foot Starship and its powerful 232-foot Super Heavy booster. The company kicked off 2025 by calling it a “transformational” year for the program, and the FAA recently increased the cap on Starship launches in Texas from 5 to 25.
However, Starship has faced several setbacks this year. It unexpectedly exploded during both its seventh test flight in January and another in March. The ninth test in May also ended in failure.
May Test Flight Reached New Heights but Failed to Deploy Starlink Payload
Although the rocket flew farther in May than in earlier tests, it still fell short of a key milestone: deploying the dummy Starlink satellites onboard — a vital part of SpaceX’s broader plan to expand its satellite internet network using the massive rocket.
Musk has continued to assert that SpaceX is aiming to launch a Starship mission to Mars by 2026, giving it a “50/50” chance during a company update in May. He also revealed that SpaceX is working on a larger “Version 3” of Starship, which he believes could take flight as soon as this year.
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