On Thursday, SpaceX transported a newly enhanced Starship rocket booster to its South Texas facility for testing, but just hours later, an internal explosion occurred.
Dedicated livestreamers monitoring SpaceX’s Starbase site captured the blast in the early morning hours of Friday, around 4:00 a.m. local time. Since then, other local content creators have shared close-up images showing the extent of the destruction.
Unlike previous incidents where SpaceX rockets erupted in fireballs, this explosion tore away a large portion of the booster’s lower section, but left the rest upright. The incident occurred at an early stage, before any rocket engines had been installed, according to Ars Technica.
SpaceX explained on X that the explosion took place during “gas system pressure testing.” The company confirmed that no injuries occurred, as the area had been evacuated for the test.
“Our teams need additional time to determine the root cause before we can be certain,” SpaceX posted on Friday.
This booster represents the first significant component of what SpaceX calls Starship version three, or “V3.” The V3 Starship is designed to be bigger, stronger, more dependable, and able to dock with other Starships in Earth’s orbit—a key element in SpaceX’s ambitions for lunar and Martian missions. (The last V2 model flew in October.)
The potential consequences of the explosion for SpaceX’s future plans remain uncertain. However, any major setback in testing could jeopardize the company’s broader objectives.
SpaceX has set its sights on a packed 2026 for Starship, which includes proving it can transfer fuel in orbit from a tanker version of the rocket. NASA requires this demonstration before approving crewed lunar missions, which SpaceX is reportedly aiming to launch in 2028.
Interim NASA administrator Sean Duffy has already expressed frustration with SpaceX’s pace on the lunar project, suggesting he might consider awarding the contract to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin instead.
Blue Origin is accelerating its own heavy-lift rocket program. Just last week, the company completed the second launch of its New Glenn rocket, successfully delivering its first commercial payload for NASA and recovering its first New Glenn booster. On Thursday, Blue Origin unveiled an even larger New Glenn design that will compete more directly with Starship.
This article has been revised to include updated statements from SpaceX.
