SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket suffered failures on its past three test flights in January, March, and May. And the setbacks keep coming.
Ahead of a 6-engine static fire test Wednesday evening, Starship “experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand,” SpaceX wrote on X. Video captured by NASASpaceflight cameras shows the rocket bursting into flames, creating an explosion that Ars Technica reported could be seen and heard as far as 30 miles away.
SpaceX said it maintained a safety clear area during the operation, reporting no injuries to personnel or hazards to surrounding communities. It said it is working with local officials to secure the test site and asked members of the public to keep their distance.
The static fire test at SpaceX’s Massey’s test site was one of the final steps ahead of Starship’s tenth test flight, which per an FAA advisory was targeting launch on June 29. Now, it’s unclear when the gargantuan vehicle and its Super Heavy booster—which combined stand nearly 400 feet tall—will fly again.
The mishap is the latest hurdle in what has been a difficult year for Starship. Rockets on Flights 7 and 8 in January and March exploded minutes into each mission, before Starship could reach orbit. The anomalies briefly disrupted air travel and prompted the FAA to double the size of Starship’s aircraft hazard area (AHA) for Flight 9.
On that mission, Starship reached orbit for the first time this year. But it suffered yet another anomaly before returning to Earth, preventing SpaceX from performing critical tests during reentry. The tests were intended to gather data that could facilitate a catch and return of Starship back at the launch pad.
SpaceX reported a different failure mode for each flight. The FAA required it to conduct mishap investigations, but it awarded return to flight determinations for Flights 8 and 9 while previous inquiries remained open. The Flight 8 investigation was closed last Thursday, about two weeks after Flight 9 launched.
The explosion on the test stand will ground the rocket once again. Massey’s is located within a few miles of SpaceX’s Starship production facility and Starbase launch pad in Texas. It is the only Starship static test fire site. The extent of the damage is unclear, but any repairs will necessitate a longer runway to Flight 10.
Notably, the mishaps coincide with SpaceX’s introduction of its Block 2 Starship, which features larger propellant tanks, greater payload capacity, and upgraded flaps and heat shield compared to the iteration that flew in 2023 and 2024. In the original configuration, Starship made its first reentry and splashdown, and SpaceX caught its Super Heavy booster using a pair of giant metal chopsticks for the first time.
Starship flew twice in 2023, four times in 2024, and has launched thrice this year. But it has not been as successful on those recent missions, which could extend the timeline for several key objectives.
In addition to catching and reflying Starship this year, as it did with Super Heavy on Flight 9, SpaceX previously hoped to complete a propellant transfer demonstration. But CEO Elon Musk in February said that will “probably” happen in 2026.
The test is required to prove Starship could be fueled up on-orbit—a key capability for the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) that SpaceX is building to land NASA astronauts on the moon. That mission, Artemis III, is scheduled for mid-2027. SpaceX would also need to fly an uncrewed Starship to the moon before then.
Musk in May shared further ambitions for Mars, estimating there is a “50/50 chance” Starship could land on the Red Planet in late 2026. But that will require further test flights.
“Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks,” Musk promised following Flight 9.
The company would hit that target if Starship launched on June 29. The latest setback, though, makes that highly unlikely.
Editor’s note: This story first appeared on FLYING.
