SpaceX starship rocket blows up in US test
A SpaceX Starship rocket detonated late Wednesday during standard testing at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas, as reported by local officials and live-streamed footage.
SpaceX acknowledged the incident on social media, stating that the rocket encountered “a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase” at approximately 11 p.m. local time. The company further noted that a safety perimeter was established and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
According to local authorities, the Starship rocket “experienced a catastrophic failure and exploded,” emphasizing that no injuries had been reported at the time of this report. An investigation into the incident is currently in progress.
Another Starship launch was planned for later this month.
Elon Musk’s large Starship has experienced a tumultuous testing record, with three launch attempts this year resulting in fiery outcomes and debris fallout that affected air traffic.
While the rocket has achieved successful launches before, its immense height — reaching 120 meters (394 feet) when combined with the Super Heavy booster — has consistently raised doubts about its reliability and the complex need for orbital refueling during missions.
Nonetheless, Musk has high expectations for Starship as a key component of NASA’s Artemis III and IV missions, which aim to bring humans back to the Moon between 2027 and 2028.
The rocket is also anticipated to assist in the launch of the Starlab private space station, as part of the envisioned transition to commercial orbital laboratories following the retirement of the International Space Station after 2030.
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