SpaceX’s upper stage prototype, designated Ship 36, exploded in southeast Texas shortly before midnight local time on June 18 during routine preparations for an upcoming test flight.
SpaceX is in the midst of preparing for Starship’s next fully integrated test, known as Flight 10. The last several tests haven’t gone well, but this prototype never even left the ground. The explosion—as shown in spectacular footage from NASASpaceFlight.com—occurred at SpaceX’s Massey facility, a test site located several miles from the launch mount at Starbase, Texas.
The 171-foot-tall (52-meter) Starship upper stage “experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase,” SpaceX said in a statement on X. “A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.” The Starbase team is coordinating with local authorities to manage the aftermath of the incident, SpaceX said, adding that, while the company reported no threat to nearby communities, it urged the public to steer clear of the area as safety measures are carried out.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk chimed in a few hours after the incident on X, brushing off the incident as “Just a scratch.” He elaborated further this morning, saying the early data “suggests a nitrogen COPV [composite overwrapped pressure vessel] in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,” and that if this proves to be the case, it’s the “first time ever for this design.” A COPV is a lightweight tank made of composite fibers wrapped around a thin liner to store high-pressure fluids, according to NASA. No further details are known, but as SpaceNews points out, Starship was being prepared for a static fire test, and the explosion happened before the rocket had a chance to fire its Raptor engines.
A June 18 advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration pointed to June 29 as a potential date for Flight 10, but that seems unlikely now. SpaceX is in a bit of a slump, with this incident adding to the pile of recent setbacks. Flight 7 in January 2024 experienced a propellant leak and fire triggered by unexpected vibrations in the propulsion system. In March, Flight 8 was cut short by a hardware failure in one of the Raptor engines, while Flight 9 in May successfully reached space, but a leak led to loss of control and the vehicle broke apart during reentry.
SpaceX’s Starship megarocket is built to carry people and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations around the solar system. It’s a key part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2027, and is central to Elon Musk’s stated goal of colonizing Mars.
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