SpaceX Starship experiences catastrophic explosion on Starbase test stand: video
A SpaceX Starship experienced a catastrophic explosion while positioned on a Starbase test stand in Texas, US, preparing for a static fire test.
The Starship erupted into a massive fireball on June 18, 2025, shortly after 23:00, local time, during a livestream, leaving commentators aghast and in disbelief.
Explosions could clearly be heard on the live stream as flames engulfed the surrounding area and lit up the night sky.
In a statement SpaceX described the event as a “major anomaly” and warned people to stay away from the area. No one was in the vicinity of the explosion.
“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 for,” SpaceX said.
The company added: “Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”
The Starship known as Ship 36 was about to perform a ground test and was not preparing for launch at the time of the explosion.
ANOMALY! Just before Ship 36 was set to Static Fire, it blew up at SpaceX Masseys!Live on X and YT:https://t.co/GPjZIX1Zyd pic.twitter.com/CfZhDeSGae— NSF – NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) June 19, 2025 The test was being conducted ahead of the 10th Starship test flight. According to Space.com, SpaceX was testing a Starship upper stage at the time of the blast.
The publication stated that SpaceX has already static-fired the flight 10 Super Heavy booster, the lower stage of the vehicle.
Following the incident Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 said: “At approximately 11:01:54 PM, during a routine static fire test at Starbase, Texas, SpaceX’s Starship 36 suffered a catastrophic failure and exploded. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported at this time. Emergency protocols were quickly enacted, and an investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the incident.”
The head of SpaceX Elon Musk has experienced several setbacks recently after Starship flights seven, eight and nine all ended in failure.
SpaceX said its “Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
The firm added: “Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.”
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A SpaceX Starship experienced a catastrophic explosion while positioned on a Starbase test stand in Texas, US, preparing…
The post SpaceX Starship experiences catastrophic explosion on Starbase test stand: video appeared first on AeroTime.
