On the evening of Wednesday, June 18, a sudden explosion occurred during a test of SpaceX’s Starship at the launchpad in Texas, but fortunately, no casualties were reported. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, responded briefly on social media the following day.
The explosion took place at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, as the Starship was preparing for the tenth static fire test before its scheduled flight. SpaceX stated that “the Starship, preparing for its tenth flight test, experienced a major anomaly on the test stand.”
Multiple live streams captured the moment of explosion, showing flames shooting up and thick smoke billowing into the air. YouTube channels such as LabPadre and NASA Spaceflight were broadcasting live, with the hosts exclaiming, “Wow! No! Oh my god!”
In a late-night post on Wednesday, SpaceX emphasized that “the entire operation was conducted within a safe perimeter, and all personnel are safe with no injuries.” The company is currently working with local authorities on site cleanup and safety inspections, advising the public to stay away from the area.
The incident involved Starship Serial Number 36, which was reported to be part of the second round of tests for the tenth flight. The Starship is a critical vehicle for SpaceX’s collaboration with NASA on the Artemis moon landing program, and is also planned for future manned missions to Mars. Its reusable design is seen as a significant breakthrough in space exploration.
Elon Musk, known for his humor and optimism, responded the next day on Twitter with a brief message: “Just a scratch,” showing his consistent lightheartedness.
As of now, SpaceX has not disclosed the specific cause of the accident or the timing of the next test. Local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting investigations.