Video: SpaceX’s Starship explodes on test stand in yet another setback

By Angus Whitley and Kate Duffy, Bloomberg

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded on a test stand in Texas, adding to a series of setbacks to Elon Musk’s space ambitions that include 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 apparent destruction of the rocket extends the string of mishaps 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. The incident comes at a moment when Musk’s business empire is faces falling demand for Tesla Inc.’s electric vehicles, and after Musk engaged in a public feud with President Donald Trump.

SpaceX holds contracts with NASA worth around $4 billion to land the agency’s astronauts on the moon using Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful launch system.

Last month, SpaceX’s colossal Starship disintegrated mid-flight after 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.

January’s explosion was caused by a propellant leak while the March failure was triggered by a hardware problem with one of Starship’s Raptor engines, according to SpaceX.

Starship 10 hadn’t been assigned an official launch date, and it’s now unclear when the next flight will take place. Following the failure of the ninth launch, SpaceX said it would carry out a data review and make improvements to the rocket system before the next test.

Aside from the failures, SpaceX celebrated some key achievements last year when Starship’s booster was first caught at the launchpad using large mechanical arms, referred to as “chopsticks.” Designed to be reusable, Starship is meant to serve as the primary spacecraft for carrying humans 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 as early as 2026.

As the world’s richest person steps back from his political work in Washington to refocus on his business empire, it remains unclear 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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