Late Wednesday night, at approximately 11 p.m. CDT on June 18, SpaceX’s Starship prototype Ship 36 erupted in a fiery explosion during a static fire test at its Starbase facility near Brownsville. The blast caused “significant rumbling and shaking” across nearby communities, with residents reporting large booms and bright fireballs visible in the sky.
This test was part of the preparation for the tenth flight test of Starship. The vehicle experienced what SpaceX described as a “major anomaly” about 30 minutes into the propellant-loading sequence, shortly before engine ignition. Flames persisted for hours as fire crews—including teams from the Brownsville Fire Department—worked to control the blaze.
SpaceX issued a statement early Thursday morning confirming:
- All personnel were safe and accounted for.
- A safety perimeter had been maintained throughout the operation.
- The incident poses no hazard to nearby communities.
- Efforts are underway to secure the test stand and surrounding area, with cooperation from local authorities.
Ship 36 represents SpaceX’s advanced Starship V2 design, aimed at improving engine efficiency and structural reliability. Concurrently, the company is developing a more advanced V3 iteration, with aspirations of supporting weekly launches within the next year.
This explosion marks at least the fourth significant setback for the Starship program this year, following previous failures in January (Flight 7), March (Flight 8), and May (Flight 9).
Despite the delays, SpaceX remains undeterred in its iterative “fail fast, learn fast” approach. The FAA recently approved up to 25 launches and 50 landings per year from Starbase.
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🌐 What happened, in brief:
- What: Explosion of Starship 36 during a static fire test.
- When: June 18, around 11 p.m. CDT.
- Where: At the static fire stand (Massey’s Testing Center), Starbase near Brownsville.
- Why: A “major anomaly” during propellant loading; investigation ongoing.
- Who: All SpaceX personnel are safe; Brownsville Fire Dept. on scene.
- Impact: Fire contained; damage to test infrastructure; flight schedule likely delayed.
Next steps:
SpaceX and local officials will evaluate the affected test stand, determine root causes, and decide on the timeline for the rebuilt Vehicle 36—or potentially advancing to V3 hardware. Meanwhile, future mission dates, including the planned 10th flight launch, may be rescheduled.
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