A SpaceX Starship exploded on a test stand in Texas, one more setback to Elon Musk's ambitions to operate return trips to Mars.
The huge blast enveloped the craft as it stood upright at Starbase, before massive plumes of flames and smoke mushroomed into the night sky, video footage of the incident late Wednesday showed. The incident shook windows and rattled dishes, according to local media reports.
The rocket appeared to be undergoing a routine “static fire test” of its engines. A static fire test is a pre-launch procedure in which a rocket's engines are fired while the rocket remains securely held down on the launch pad — essentially a rehearsal for the real launch, allowing engineers to test the rocket's systems without actually sending it into space.
In a statement, SpaceX said the Starship “experienced a major anomaly” during preparations for a 10th flight test. No one was injured and local residents aren't at risk, the company said.
The scale of the incident wasn't immediately clear. But it adds to a series of setbacks for a spaceship program that's central to NASA's plans to put American boots back on the moon — and also to Musk's grander ambitions to send cargo and people to Mars.
SpaceX holds contracts with NASA worth around $4 billion to land the agency's astronauts on the moon using Starship.
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…
Last month, SpaceX's colossal Starship disintegrated mid-flight after leaking propellant and spinning out of control. That loss was its third consecutive setback after flights in January and March were cut short just minutes after takeoff when the spacecraft exploded over the Gulf of Mexico, sending debris raining down from the sky and disrupting air travel.
As the world's largest and most powerful launch system, Starship is meant to serve as the primary spacecraft for transporting people to Mars and then bringing them back to Earth. Musk has said he plans to send a Starship rocket to the Red Planet carrying robots built by Tesla Inc. as early as 2026.
As Musk, the world's richest person, steps back from his political work in Washington to refocus on his business empire, there are still some questions over how much time he'll spend on Starship and SpaceX, and what changes he'll make inside the company to get the program back on track.
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