Late Wednesday evening at about 11PM CT, SpaceX was about to carry out a static hearth take a look at of Ship 36, forward of a deliberate tenth flight take a look at for its Starship, when there was out of the blue a large explosion on the Massey’s Testing Middle web site. SpaceX says “A security clear space across the web site was maintained all through the operation and all personnel are protected and accounted for,” and that there aren’t any hazards to residents within the space of its not too long ago integrated city of Starbase, Texas.
“After finishing a single-engine static hearth earlier this week, the automobile was within the means of loading cryogenic propellant for a six-engine static hearth when a sudden energetic occasion resulted within the full lack of Starship and harm to the fast space surrounding the stand,” in accordance with an replace on SpaceX’s web site. “The explosion ignited a number of fires on the take a look at web site which stays away from personnel and will likely be assessed as soon as it has been decided to be protected to method. People mustn’t try to method the world whereas safing operations proceed.”
The explosion follows others throughout the seventh, eighth, and ninth Starship flight assessments earlier this 12 months. “Preliminary evaluation signifies the potential failure of a pressurized tank often known as a COPV, or composite overwrapped strain vessel, containing gaseous nitrogen in Starship’s nosecone space, however the full knowledge evaluate is ongoing,” SpaceX says. On X, the corporate referred to as the explosion a “main anomaly.”
Fox 26 Houston says that, in accordance with authorities, there have been no accidents reported. SpaceX additionally says no accidents have been reported.
This flight take a look at would’ve continued utilizing SpaceX’s “V2” Starship design, which Musk mentioned in 2023, “holds extra propellant, reduces dry mass and improves reliability.” SpaceX can also be getting ready a brand new V3 design that, in accordance with Musk, was monitoring towards a charge of launching as soon as per week in about 12 months.
Replace, June nineteenth: Added data from SpaceX.