SpaceX’s Starship rocket suffered another significant setback late Wednesday evening when a test vehicle exploded during preparations for its tenth test flight at the company’s Texas launch site.
The incident occurred just moments before the scheduled static fire test. SpaceX confirmed the event in a brief statement, ensuring that “all personnel are safe and accounted for.” The company further asserted that the blast posed “no hazards to residents in surrounding communities,” though it has yet to provide details on the exact cause of the failure.
It remains uncertain how this latest incident might impact Starship’s aggressive testing schedule moving forward. Earlier in June, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory indicating a potential test flight as soon as June 29.
In a characteristically brief online reaction, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk referred to the explosion as “just a scratch,” downplaying the seriousness of the setback. Despite this, Wednesday’s explosion is the latest in a problematic string of mishaps that have disrupted Starship’s testing program throughout 2025.
SpaceX had opened the year describing 2025 as a transformative period for the ambitious Starship project, accelerating rocket tests and development efforts. The FAA recently expanded SpaceX’s permissible launches in the Texas facility from 5 to 25, clearing the way for increased frequency in test flights. However, the company’s recent testing history has been fraught with issues.
Starship notably exploded in flight during its seventh test in January, then again in March. In May, the ninth test flight went further into its planned sequence than prior attempts, but the rocket ultimately spun out of control and failed to achieve its goal of deploying dummy Starlink satellite payloads—a critical step for SpaceX’s development plans for expanding global satellite internet coverage.
Nonetheless, Musk maintains an optimistic outlook on the Starship program. He recently reiterated SpaceX’s plans to launch a Starship toward Mars as soon as 2026, giving the mission a “50/50” chance of success as recently as a May company briefing. Musk also announced plans for a larger, improved “Version 3” of Starship, which he has previously suggested could see initial test flights before the end of the year.
As investigations into Wednesday’s incident begin, observers will be watching closely to see if SpaceX can quickly rebound from this latest hurdle and resume its ambitious testing and launch schedule.
