(The Post News)– A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in a massive fireball late last night during a routine engine test at the firm’s Starbase launching facility in South Texas. This marked another dazzling setback for Elon Musk’s ambitious spaceflight program.
The Starship spacecraft encountered a “major anomaly” around 11 p.m. local time during pre-launch preparation for a static fire test—a key pre-launch procedure, SpaceX stated. The blast occurred before ignition and ignited an enormous fireball which engulfed the night sky, video footage of which was broadcast live on NASA Spaceflight, an independent space news website.
SpaceX confirmed that there were no injuries, fatalities, or danger caused to surrounding venues that resulted from the incident. However, the company has warned the public against approaching the site, with ongoing safety activities in coordination with the local authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees commercial spaceflight licensure and safety in the United States, did not have an immediate comment regarding the explosion.
Meanwhile, the office of Cameron County Precinct 1 Constable verified the incident via their social media, indicating that the explosion occurred while a planned static fire test was being done. The authorities indicated that there were no reported injuries and that an investigation into the cause of the explosion has been initiated.
Furthermore, a video from NASA Spaceflight’s live coverage recorded a spectacular explosion that briefly illuminated the screen bright white before fire licked at the test stand. A smaller fire continued to burn on into early Thursday.
Starship, the world’s most sophisticated and largest rocket to date, is designed to transport humans and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations in space. Although the core of Musk’s ultimate vision of interplanetary colonisation, the rocket has faced several technical issues.
The latest failure is part of an increasingly large number of on-screen Starship test failures. Last month, a Starship vehicle reached space but disintegrated after the top stage spun wildly out of control from a leak of propellant. Previous tests—the most recent being the seventh and eighth attempts—also resulted in dramatic explosions seconds after launch.
Despite the setbacks, SpaceX keeps testing and building Starship aggressively out of its Starbase facility in the newly annexed town of Starbase in Cameron County. The plant has become a base for the company’s most ambitious deep-space exploration initiatives.
Even though a SpaceX update on the cause of the explosion and its impact on future test schedules is pending in the next few days.
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