SpaceX’s Starship Ship 36 experienced a catastrophic explosion at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas during preparations for its tenth test flight.
The incident occurred while the vehicle was being loaded with liquid oxygen and methane fuel for a planned static fire test of its six Raptor engines.
The upper stage of the rocket, the largest ever built, was undergoing routine testing to prepare for its 10th test flight at SpaceX’s South Texas Starbase site on Wednesday night (June 18) when it “suffered a catastrophic failure and exploded,” local authorities wrote on Facebook.The gigantic fireball adds to a string of recent headaches for the rocket’s upper stages. The ship exploded mid-flight during two previous test flights in January and March, and fell to pieces during an earlier-than-planned reentry in May.
SpaceX representatives indicate it was the result of a “major anomaly”. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
The company said the Starship “experienced a major anomaly” at about 11 p.m. while on the test stand preparing for the tenth flight test at Starbase, SpaceX’s launch site at the southern tip of Texas.”A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX said in a statement on the social platform X.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk indicates the failure may have been related to the spacecraft’s COPV (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel). This is a type of pressure vessel designed to store high-pressure gases such as nitrogen. The COPV consists of a thin, non-structural liner (often metallic) wrapped with a structural fiber composite, which provides high strength and lower weight compared to traditional all-metal tanks.
While the Starship was completely destroyed in the explosion, the real setbacks may be related to the damage done to the launch infrastructure during the catastrophic incident.
However, for the Starship program, Ship 36’s anomaly is a notable setback. SpaceX has not only lost a ship in ground testing for the first time since SN4 in May 2020, but also lost the ability to perform testing at Massey’s due to significant damage to its static fire test stand and surrounding propellant farm infrastructure. With the loss of Ship 36, SpaceX will not be flying again soon.Notably, the COPVs installed on Starship and Super Heavy share no commonality with COPVs used on SpaceX’s Falcon rockets. Thus, Ship 36’s COPV rupture is an isolated problem for the Starship program.
This event represents the fourth consecutive setback for the program, challenging the ambitious vision of Mars colonization championed by Musk. From a financial perspective, each “anomaly” requires substantial investment in root-cause analysis, system redesigns, and additional testing (processes that increase overall development costs). These mounting expenditures could pressure SpaceX’s financial resources, potentially impacting its capacity to fulfill current contracts and secure capital for future initiatives.
Moreover, these repeated challenges threaten to delay critical milestones not only for SpaceX’s long-term Mars objectives but also for NASA’s Artemis program, which is counting on Starship for lunar lander capabilities. Maintaining project timelines is essential for capitalizing on revenue opportunities and avoiding contractual penalties. Thus, each setback introduces risks to both near-term revenue streams and longer-term financial planning, raising concerns among stakeholders and partners invested in these ventures.
That being said, SpaceX’s Starship program has emerged as a powerful symbol of American ambition and innovation, capturing public imagination and serving as a source of inspiration across the nation. The program is widely viewed as a significant step forward for both the United States and humanity at large—potentially the most important since the Apollo 11 moon landing—in the journey toward becoming a true spacefaring and multiplanetary civilization.
I wish Musk and SpaceX good luck on Starship 37!
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