‘Major Anomaly' Behind Latest SpaceX Starship Explosion
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica Jun 20, 2025 12:38 PM SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested on X that a high-pressure nitrogen tank failure was behind the explosion of the company's massive Starship rocket.
SpaceX's next Starship rocket exploded during a ground test in South Texas late Wednesday, dealing another blow to a program already struggling to overcome three consecutive failures in recent months.
The late-night explosion at SpaceX's rocket development complex in Starbase, Texas, destroyed the bullet-shaped upper stage that was slated to launch on the next Starship test flight. The powerful blast set off fires around SpaceX's Massey's Test Site, located a few miles from the company's Starship factory and launch pads.
Live streaming video from NASASpaceflight.com and LabPadre—media organizations with cameras positioned around Starbase—showed the 15-story-tall rocket burst into flames shortly after 11:00 pm local time (12:00 am EDT; 04:00 UTC). Local residents as far as 30 miles away reported seeing and feeling the blast.
SpaceX confirmed the Starship, numbered Ship 36 in the company's inventory, "experienced a major anomaly" on a test stand as the vehicle prepared to ignite its six Raptor engines for a static fire test. These hold-down test-firings are typically one of the final milestones in a Starship launch campaign before SpaceX moves the rocket to the launch pad.
The explosion occurred as SpaceX finished up loading super-cold methane and liquid oxygen propellants into Starship in preparation for the static fire test. The company said the area around the test site was evacuated of all personnel, and everyone was safe and accounted for after the incident. Firefighters from the Brownsville Fire Department were dispatched to the scene.
"Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials," SpaceX posted on X. "There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue."
In a separate post on X, SpaceX's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, wrote that preliminary data suggests a high-pressure nitrogen tank failed inside Starship's payload bay. Many rockets have such tanks, or composite overwrapped pressure vessels, containing high-pressure gases used for purging and pressurizing different compartments inside the vehicle. These tanks, or COPVs, can be finicky. SpaceX engineers blamed hardware associated with COPVs for the only two catastrophic failures of the Falcon 9 rocket in 2015 and 2016.
Musk wrote that the nitrogen COPV appears to have failed below its proof pressure, within conditions that should not have damaged the tank. "If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design," Musk added. Picking Up the Pieces
Earlier Wednesday, just hours before the late-night explosion at Starbase, an advisory released by the Federal Aviation Administration showed SpaceX had set June 29 as a tentative launch date for the next Starship test flight. That won't happen now, and it's anyone's guess when SpaceX will have another Starship ready to fly.
Massey's Test Site, named for a gun range that once occupied the property, is situated on a bend in the Rio Grande River, just a few hundred feet from the Mexican border. The test site is currently the only place where SpaceX can put Starships through proof testing and static fire tests before declaring the rockets are ready to fly.
The extent of the damage to ground equipment at Massey's was not immediately clear, so it's too soon to say how long the test site will be out of commission. For now, though, the explosion leaves SpaceX without a facility to support preflight testing on Starships.
The videos embedded below come from NASASpaceflight.com and LabPadre, showing multiple angles of the Starship blast.
The explosion at Massey's is a reminder of SpaceX's rocky path to get Starship to this point in its development. In 2020 and 2021, SpaceX lost several Starship prototypes to problems during ground and flight testing. The visual of Ship 36 going up in flames harkens back to those previous explosions, along with the fiery demise of a Falcon 9 rocket on its launch pad in 2016 under circumstances similar to Wednesday night's incident.
SpaceX has now launched nine full-scale Starship rockets since April 2023, and before the explosion, the company hoped to launch the 10th test flight later this month. Starship's track record has been dreadful so far this year, with the rocket's three most recent test flights ending prematurely. These setbacks followed a triumphant 2024, when SpaceX made clear progress on each successive Starship suborbital test flight, culminating in the first catch of the rocket's massive Super Heavy booster with giant robotic arms on the launch pad tower.
Stacked together, the Super Heavy booster stage and Starship upper stage stand more than 400 feet tall, creating the largest rocket ever built. SpaceX has already flown a reused Super Heavy booster, and the company has designed Starship itself to be recoverable and reusable, too.
After last year's accomplishments, SpaceX appeared to be on track for a full orbital flight, an attempt to catch and recover Starship itself, and an important in-space refueling demonstration in 2025. The refueling demo has officially slipped into 2026, and it's questionable whether SpaceX will make enough progress in the coming months to attempt recovery of a ship before the end of this year. Ambition Meets Reality
SpaceX debuted an upgraded Starship design, called Version 2 or Block 2, on a test flight in January. It's been one setback after another since then.
The new Starship design is slightly taller than the version of Starship that SpaceX flew in 2023 and 2024. It has an improved heat shield to better withstand the extreme heat of atmospheric reentry. SpaceX also installed a new fuel feed line system to route methane fuel to the ship's Raptor engines, and an improved propulsion avionics module controlling the vehicle's valves and reading sensors.
Despite—or perhaps because of—all of these changes for Starship Version 2, SpaceX has been unable to replicate the successes it achieved with Starship in the last two years. Ships launched on test flights in January and March spun out of control minutes after liftoff, scattering debris over the sea, and in at least one case, onto a car in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
SpaceX engineers concluded the January failure was likely caused by intense vibrations that triggered fuel leaks and fires in the ship's engine compartment, causing an early shutdown of the rocket's engines. Engineers said the vibrations were likely in resonance with the vehicle's natural frequency, intensifying the shaking beyond the levels SpaceX predicted.
The March flight failed in similar fashion, but SpaceX's investigators determined the most probable root cause was a hardware failure in one of the ship's engines, a different failure mode than two months before.
During SpaceX's most recent Starship test flight last month, the rocket completed the ascent phase of the mission as planned, seemingly overcoming the problems that plagued the prior two launches. But soon after the Raptor engines shut down, a fuel leak caused the ship to begin tumbling in space, preventing the vehicle from completing a guided reentry to test the performance of new heat shield materials.
SpaceX is working on a third-generation Starship design, called Version 3, that the company says could be ready to fly by the end of this year. The upgraded Starship Version 3 design will be able to lift heavier cargo—up to 200 metric tons—into orbit thanks to larger propellant tanks and more powerful Raptor engines. Version 3 will also have the ability to refuel in low-Earth orbit.
Version 3 will presumably have permanent fixes to the problems currently slowing SpaceX's pace of Starship development. And there are myriad issues for SpaceX's engineers to solve, from engine reliability and the ship's resonant frequency, to beefing up the ship's heat shield and fixing its balky payload bay door.
Once officials solve these problems, it will be time for SpaceX to bring a Starship from low-Earth orbit back to the ground. Then, there's more cool stuff on the books, like orbital refueling and missions to the Moon in partnership with NASA's Artemis program. NASA has contracts worth more than $4 billion with SpaceX to develop a human-rated Starship that can land astronauts on the Moon and launch them safely back into space.
The Trump administration's proposed budget for NASA would cancel the Artemis program's ultra-expensive Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule after two more flights, leaving commercial heavy-lifters to take over launching astronauts from the Earth to the Moon. SpaceX's Starship, already on contract with NASA as a human-rated lander, may eventually win more government contracts to fill the role of SLS and Orion under Trump's proposed budget. Other rockets, such as Blue Origin's New Glenn, are also well-positioned to play a larger role in human space exploration.
NASA's official schedule for the first Artemis crew landing on the Moon puts the mission some time in 2027, using SLS and Orion to transport astronauts out to the vicinity of the Moon to meet up with SpaceX's Starship lunar lander. After that mission, known as Artemis III, NASA would pivot to using commercial rockets from Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to replace the Space Launch System.
Meanwhile, SpaceX's founder and CEO has his sights set on Mars. Last month, Musk told his employees he wants to launch the first Starships toward the Red Planet in late 2026, when the positions of Earth and Mars in the Solar System make a direct journey possible. Optimistically, he would like to send people to Mars on Starships beginning in 2028.
All of these missions are predicated on SpaceX mastering routine Starship launch operations, rapid reuse of the ship and booster, and cryogenic refueling in orbit, along with adapting systems such as life support, communications, and deep space navigation for an interplanetary journey.
The to-do list is long for SpaceX's Starship program—too long for Mars landings to seem realistic any time in the next few years. NASA's schedule for the Artemis III lunar landing mission in 2027 is also tight, and not only because of Starship's delays. The development of new spacesuits for astronauts to wear on the Moon may also put the Artemis III schedule at risk. NASA's SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft have had significant delays throughout their history, so it's not a sure thing they will be ready in 2027.
While it's too soon to know the precise impact of Wednesday night's explosion, we can say with some confidence that the chances of Starship meeting these audacious schedules are lower today than they were Wednesday.
This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Verge
19 minutes ago
- The Verge
macOS Tahoe could finally say goodbye to FireWire.
Posted Jun 20, 2025 at 6:29 PM UTC macOS Tahoe could finally say goodbye to FireWire. However, it's still several months before macOS Tahoe is officially released. FireWire support could still return, but the last computer Apple released with the port was the 13-inch 2012 MacBook Pro. macOS Tahoe Beta Drops FireWire Support [
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Comtech Rejoins iCERT, Deepening Commitment to Public Safety Innovation
Renewed Membership Reinforces Public Safety Commitment and Expands Advocacy Platform CHANDLER, Ariz., June 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 20, 2025-- Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) ("Comtech" or the "Company"), a global communications technology leader, today announced that its Terrestrial & Wireless Networks ("T&W") business segment has rejoined the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies, Inc. ("iCERT"). Founded in 2005, iCERT is a commercial sector trade association that brings together leading technology companies to drive innovation, shape effective policy, and promote open standards that improve public safety and emergency response. This return to iCERT is part of a series of strategic moves by the T&W business segment, including the launch of Allerium Mira - a cloud-native call handling platform designed to simplify complexity and support evolving 9-1-1 needs. Together, these efforts reflect a renewed commitment to public safety and essential service providers, backed by the same trusted team, proven solutions, and industry-wide support. "We're excited to collaborate with iCERT as it expands its focus on key issues and innovations in emergency communications," said Susan Ornstein, Senior Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs of Comtech T&W, who joined the association's board of directors earlier this month. "Under its new leadership, iCERT is amplifying the voice of its members on public policy issues and engaging partner associations like NASNA, NENA, and APCO to advance shared priorities across the public safety community. Together with iCERT, Comtech is well positioned to address pressing public safety and regulatory matters, and advocate for federal funding, legislation, and FCC policy updates." "Few organizations have meant as much to me throughout my career as iCERT," said Jeff Robertson, President of Comtech T&W. "Twenty years ago, I worked alongside two industry visionaries to establish this organization with the shared goal of fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors. I was privileged to serve as iCERT's inaugural executive director and have remained a strong advocate of its mission throughout my career. Seeing our company rejoin the iCERT community is especially meaningful. Comtech is committed to delivering results that help communities become safer, more connected, and resilient, and iCERT is a vital partner in advancing that work." "iCERT stands committed to propelling public safety forward, facilitating collaboration among its member base and industry stakeholders, and creating an environment that fosters innovation and progress," said Don Brittingham, Interim Executive Director of iCERT. "Members like Comtech play a vital role in strengthening the organization's depth and breadth of experience across the full public safety call flow. I am excited to welcome Jeff Robertson and his team back to iCERT and look forward to empowering public safety together." About Comtech Comtech Telecommunications Corp. is a leading provider of satellite and space communications technologies; terrestrial and wireless network solutions; Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) and emergency services; and cloud native capabilities to commercial and government customers around the world. Through its culture of innovation and employee empowerment, Comtech leverages its global presence and decades of technology leadership and experience to create some of the world's most innovative solutions for mission-critical communications. For more information, please visit About iCERT iCERT—The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies—is the only industry trade association focused exclusively on emergency response technologies and related equipment, systems, and services. iCERT is dedicated to improving public safety through innovation. For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Statements Certain information in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and involve certain significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and performance could differ materially from such forward-looking information. The Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings identify many such risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking information in this press release is qualified in its entirety by the risks and uncertainties described in such Securities and Exchange Commission filings. View source version on Contacts Investor Relations Maria Ceriello631-962-7102investors@ Media Contact Jamie
Forbes
24 minutes ago
- Forbes
Apple Loop: iPhone 17 Pro Release Date, Apple Challenges AI Assumptions, iPad Pro Multitasking Explained
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks at Apple headquarters (Photo by) Taking a look back at this week's news and headlines from across the Apple world, including iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro launch dates, stunning iPhone display upgrade, new iOS 26 features, MacBook Pro upgrade details, iPad multitasking, WWDC goals, and Apple challenges AI assumptions. Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes. iPhone 17 Family Launch Dates Apple's tentpole event of the year, which everything is built around, is the iPhone launch. Which dates are available for this year's iPhone 17 family? David Phelan looks over the choices of September 2/3, 9/10, or 16/17: "We can rule out the first pair as that completely clashes with the big consumer electronics show in Berlin, IFA, which runs Sept. 5-9… The final pair of dates seems too late for me, though they're not impossible — if Apple hits a snag in production, it can move the launch to that week. Most likely are Tuesday, Sept. 9 or Wednesday, Sept. 10. My gut says it will be on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific in Apple's Cupertino HQ." (Forbes). iPhone's Stunning Display Upgrade Apple is working hard to bring new display technology to the iPhone. Although these won't be ready for the iPhone 17, and perhaps not even the iPhone 18, but the allure of an OLED display that draws less power is one it is investigating: 'Apple is reviewing a plan to apply a new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) organic light-emitting diode (OLED) to the iPhone series to be released in 2027 at the earliest. The core of the new LTPO OLED is whether to apply oxide (oxide) to the driving TFT. If the proportion of oxide increases, it can reduce power consumption,' the site says." (The Elec via Forbes). Apple Already Adding New iOS 26 Features Apple has released a second build of the next iOS 26 release in public development. While there are some questions on the need for a rebuild (with suggestions of battery life or a significant security issue being discussed online), one of the key quality of life updates is present in the release; smart storage, which helps manage memory during install, updates, and upgrades: " We don't yet know how this dynamic reservation of space will work, or how much will be automatically be set aside, but it may 'align with similar mechanisms in macOS. If you are not familiar with it, Apple already uses temporary system storage management during updates, even in the case of iOS, but the new feature could mean that the system actively manages and holds onto space as part of its background maintenance,' the report adds. (Forbes). 2026 MacBook Pro's Anticipated Upgrade Following a burst of engagement in the move to Apple Silicon in 2020, the MacBook has seen little change in terms of design and features beyond the chipset. With an expected redesign in 2026, one of the biggest missing features could finally arrive, replacing the LED displays with OLED. "The OLED MacBook Air is also expected to get a standard single-stack display, rather than the more sophisticated Two-Stack Tandem displays we reported on for the MacBook Pro. Single-stack displays have one red, green and blue layer, while two-stack tandem OLED has a second RGB layer. Two layers stacked in tandem increases the brightness of the screen, while also increasing longevity. (The Elec via 9to5Mac). The iPad, The Mac, And Returning To An App Apple continues to thread the needle to increase the capability of the iPad while avoiding any clash with the Mac (specifically the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops). Federico Viticci has a deep dive investigation and interview with Apple's Craig Federighi on the new iPadOS 26 changes, and much of that is built around a long-standing issue… multitasking, windowing, and using apps concurrently: "In listening to Federighi's analysis of iPad multitasking over the years, I get the sense that Apple has been trying to understand the iPad's audience for over a decade. At some point, they realized that the device has two types of users: those who just want a tablet, and those who want a tablet plus more traditional computing features. The company tried to reinvent those classic functionalities but ultimately understood that some users would rather have classic windowing, a file manager, and a menu bar that 'simply' worked with either touch or indirect manipulation, rather than entirely new UI metaphors." (MacStories). Only What Can Be Delivered After the hot takes of last week's Worldwide Developer Conference come the considered responses. Longtime Apple follower John Gruber makes an important observation on what was announced this year, compared to the vast promises of 2024: "I might be overlooking a minor exception or two, but every major feature announced in the WWDC 2025 keynote was both demonstratable in product briefings, and is currently available in the developer beta seeds. I was also told, explicitly, by Apple executives, that Apple plans to ship everything shown last week in the fall." (Daring Fireball). And Finally... Apple continues to lag behind the curve in the use of generative AI—the recent delay announced at WWDC points to nothing practical till 2026. Apple's work on AI has led to a research paper that suggests the promises made by the competition may be too generous: "In particular, the researchers assail the claims of companies like OpenAI that their most advanced models can now "reason" — a supposed capability that the Sam Altman-led company has increasingly leaned on over the past year for marketing purposes — which the Apple team characterizes as merely an "illusion of thinking.'" (Futurism). Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don't forget to follow me so you don't miss any coverage in the future. Last week's Apple Loop can be read here, or this week's edition of Loop's sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
