“Major Anomaly” ROCKS South Texas Community!

SpaceX’s Starship prototype exploded in a dramatic fireball during a routine static fire test near Brownsville, Texas, destroying the vehicle, rattling nearby homes, but causing no injuries.

At a Glance

  • Starship Ship 36 exploded during a static fire test at Starbase late June 18
  • The 220-foot rocket was being prepared for its 10th test flight
  • Residents across South Texas reported hearing a loud boom and feeling tremors
  • SpaceX confirmed there were no injuries and that the site was secured
  • The company remains committed to its rapid development philosophy despite the setback

Static Fire Ends in Disaster

Static fire tests, which ignite engines while the rocket is held in place, are a key step before flight. According to CNBC, Ship 36 experienced a “major anomaly” during engine firing that caused a powerful explosion and fireball at the company’s Starbase site in South Texas. The prototype was destroyed on the pad.

Watch: Starship test explosion captured on video

Community Impact, Safety First

The blast was heard and felt miles away. Residents in Brownsville reported homes shaking and windows rattling, with many calling emergency services. “My whole neighborhood felt it,” a local resident told MySanAntonio. SpaceX quickly announced there were no injuries and coordinated with first responders to secure the site.

A Setback, Not the End

This marks another in a series of test failures for Starship, following earlier explosions during development flights. The company’s “fail fast, learn fast” philosophy has long embraced high-risk testing as part of its iterative engineering strategy. As reported by El Pais, the Starship program remains on track, with the FAA having approved up to 25 launches and 50 landings per year from Starbase.

Despite the loss of Ship 36, SpaceX continues to push forward with its goal of enabling deep-space missions. Each failure, in the company’s view, represents another step toward the ultimate prize: a fully reusable system capable of ferrying humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.