A powerful explosion rocked Elon Musk’s SpaceX testing site at Massey, Texas, on Thursday, dramatically halting preparations for the company’s next Starship launch.
The incident occurred just before Ship 36 was scheduled for a critical static fire test—a procedure in which the rocket’s engines are ignited while the vehicle remains anchored to the ground, serving as a final systems check before launch.
Eyewitnesses reported a sudden, fiery blast that sent debris scattering across the facility, though no injuries were reported.
The explosion caused significant damage to the Starship prototype and forced SpaceX to suspend all launch preparations indefinitely.
The company had been targeting June 29 for its next major Starship flight, which would mark the tenth test of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket system.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation, and all personnel are safe and accounted for. 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,” SpaceX said in a post.
This latest setback adds to a string of high-profile failures for SpaceX’s Starship program in 2025.
