Latest news with #NASASpaceflight
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Science
- Sky News AU
'Just a scratch': Elon Musk responds after SpaceX Starship explodes on Texas launch site
SpaceX's Starship exploded Wednesday night during a test at SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Around 11 p.m. local time Wednesday, "the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," SpaceX said in a post on X. "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," the company said. "Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. 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. The rocket's explosion was caught on camera by several livestreams of Starbase. Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 shared a NASASpaceflight stream on his Facebook page. "Whoa! Whoa! No," a man can be heard saying once the explosion happened. "Oh, my God." The caption at the bottom of the stream read: "SpaceX is expected to perform a static fire test of ship 36. The second in this series of testing for flight 10." SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appeared to shrug off the incident in a post on X Thursday morning. "Just a scratch," he said. Originally published as 'Just a scratch': Elon Musk responds after SpaceX Starship explodes on Texas launch site
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX's Starship explodes in Texas during preparations for 10th test flight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. SpaceX's newest Starship vehicle just went up in smoke. The company was testing a Starship upper stage at its Starbase site in South Texas on Wednesday night (June 18), to prepare for the megarocket's upcoming 10th flight test. But something went very wrong, as video captured by shows: The vehicle exploded, sending a massive fireball high into the dark Texas skies. SpaceX acknowledged the incident in an X post early on Thursday morning (June 19), noting that it occurred around 11 p.m. local time (midnight EDT and 0400 GMT on June 19). "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," SpaceX added in the post. "Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. 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." SpaceX is developing Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, to help humanity colonize Mars, among other ambitious exploration tasks. The vehicle consists of two elements, both of which are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable — a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and a 171-foot-tall (52 meters) upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or simply Ship. It was Ship that exploded on Wednesday night, on a test stand at Starbase's Massey site (not the orbital launch mount, from which Starship liftoffs occur). According to NASASpaceflight, which closely monitors Starship activity at Starbase, the anomaly occurred just before Ship was set to perform a static-fire test. Static fires are common prelaunch tests, in which a rocket's engines are briefly ignited while the vehicle remains anchored to the ground. SpaceX had already conducted a static fire with this Ship, though that trial involved just one of its Raptor engines; this test may have been intended to fire up all six of them. SpaceX has also already static-fired the Flight 10 Super Heavy booster, successfully igniting all 33 of its Raptors. Related Stories: — SpaceX reached space with Starship Flight 9 launch, then lost control of its giant spaceship (video) — Starship and Super Heavy explained — Elon Musk says SpaceX will launch its biggest Starship yet this year, but Mars in 2026 is '50/50' Wednesday night's explosion continued a string of setbacks for Starship upper stages. Ship has broken apart on the last three Starship test flights, which launched in January, March and May of this year. On Flight 7 and Flight 8, the "rapid unscheduled disassembly" occurred less than 10 minutes after liftoff. Ship flew significantly farther on Flight 9; SpaceX lost contact with the vehicle about 46 minutes after liftoff, and its pieces are likely resting on the Indian Ocean seabed. Super Heavy has performed better. On Flight 7 and Flight 8, for example, the booster returned to Starbase after launch for a dramatic catch by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms. The Flight 7 Super Heavy flew again on Flight 9, notching a major reusability milestone for the Starship program. (SpaceX did not attempt to recover the booster on Flight 9, and it broke apart as it was coming in for a planned "hard splashdown" in the Gulf of Mexico.) SpaceX is still looking into what happened on Flight 9, an investigation overseen by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. So there was not yet an official target launch date for Starship Flight 10 — and, if there had been, it would now have to be revised after the events of Wednesday night.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch: Musk's SpaceX rocket explodes into giant fireball
Credit: D Wise / @NASASpaceflight A SpaceX rocket being tested on the company's launchpad has exploded in a massive fireball after a 'major anomaly'. Elon Musk's latest Starship rocket, the billionaire's 400ft-long spacecraft intended to carry humans to the Moon, suddenly blew up while it was being prepared for an upcoming flight. The rocket exploded at around 11pm local time – 5am UK time –sending flames high into the sky. The detonation occurred while the Starship rocket was undertaking a 'static fire' test of its engines. SpaceX said: 'The Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase.' The company said all staff were safe following the unexpected loss of the craft. A spokesman said: 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for. 'Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. 'There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safeing operations continue.' Residents near SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, reported seeing a massive fire and hearing an explosion that rattled windows, local media reported. The destruction of the rocket will hamper Mr Musk's hopes of getting Starship back into the sky within weeks after its last rocket was lost on a test flight. It will also raise questions over his ambitious timelines for SpaceX's rocket programme. The Starship rocket had been expected to undertake a 10th test mission for SpaceX as the company attempts to refine its reusable rocket design that Mr Musk claims will one day carry humans to Mars. Nasa is planning to use Starship to return humans to the Moon in 2027 for the first time since Saturn V's last mission to the lunar surface in 1972. SpaceX's Starship is split into two parts, a 233ft first booster stage and a 171ft second stage, which is intended to carry payloads and crew into space. Mr Musk's company ultimately planning to re-use the entire rocket, with both stages able to return to Earth. It has already demonstrated the recovery the of its booster rocket, catching it using a vast tower armed with a pair of mechanical 'chopsticks'. However, so far, all of its tests have ended with the loss of its second stage rocket – in some cases through an explosion and in others with the planned ditching of the rocket into the Indian Ocean. Some of these mid-flight explosions have sent flaming debris through the skies above the Caribbean, forcing plans to divert or delaying flights. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Engadget
a day ago
- Science
- Engadget
SpaceX's Starship explodes on the ground during a routine test
A SpaceX Starship vehicle has exploded yet again, and this time, it happened before it even took off. NASASpaceflight has captured the event in a livestream, wherein you can see the spacecraft (Ship 36) suddenly explode into a fireball after the company tested its forward flap and just before it was supposed to conduct a static fire test. The company said on X that on June 19 at approximately 12AM Eastern time, the Starship it was preparing for its 10th flight test "experienced a major anomaly" while it was on a stand in its Starbase, Texas facility. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Since SpaceX maintained a safety clear area around the vehicle, all its personnel were safe and accounted for. It also said that there's no danger to nearby residents, but it's asking people not to approach the area. According to local authorities, the explosion happened due to a "catastrophic failure." No injuries have been reported, and investigation is already underway to determine the root cause of the incident. Starship is the super-heavy-lift launch vehicle SpaceX is developing for bigger launches with more payload and for missions heading farther than low Earth orbit, such as to the moon and to Mars. Based on its most recent tests, however, it's far from ready. During its seventh and eighth flights, its second stage, which is known as the "Ship," exploded during ascent. It was the Ship that exploded on Wednesday night. The second stage managed to reach space during its ninth test flight in May, but SpaceX lost contact with it and wasn't able to achieve a controlled splashdown into the ocean. SpaceX also lost contact with its Super Heavy booster stage upon re-entry, and it went through a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" six minutes after launch. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted… — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 19, 2025 If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
SpaceX's Starship blows up ahead of 10th test flight
One of SpaceX's Starship launch vehicles exploded on a test stand in Texas late on Wednesday night, as the company prepared for the tenth test flight of the heavy-lift rocket system. SpaceX said 'all personnel are safe and accounted for' in a post on X, and claimed there are 'no hazards to residents in surrounding communities.' The company did not provide an explanation for the explosion. It's not immediately clear what impact this will have on SpaceX's development of the Starship rocket system. A recent advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggested the tenth test flight could have happened as soon as June 29. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a post seemingly related to the explosion that he considers it to be: 'Just a scratch.' ANOMALY! Just before Ship 36 was set to Static Fire, it blew up at SpaceX Masseys! Live on X and YT: — NSF – (@NASASpaceflight) June 19, 2025 SpaceX has spent the last few years aggressively developing the 171-foot Starship and the massive 232-foot Super Heavy booster that powers it into space. The company started 2025 saying this year would be a 'transformational' one for the program, and the FAA recently increased its limit on Starship launches in Texas from 5 to 25. But Starship, in particular, has had a number of problems this year. The rocket unexpectedly exploded during its seventh test flight in January, and then again in March. It failed again during its ninth test in May. While the rocket made it further into its most recent flight in May than during the previous two tests, it still failed to deploy the dummy Starlink satellites it was carrying onboard — a crucial step in the company's plan to use the mega-rocket to grow its space-based internet service. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Musk has maintained that SpaceX is on track to try to send a Starship to Mars in 2026, giving it a '50/50' chance in a company update in May. The company is also developing a larger 'Version 3' of Starship that, Musk claimed, could fly as early as this year.
