Topline
SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded into a massive fireball while it was being prepared for a flight test at its Starbase testing facility in Texas on Wednesday night, marking the latest in a series of explosions that have marred the testing of the rocket company’s most powerful launch vehicle.
FILE PHOTO- SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship exploded during a test on Wednesday night.
Key Facts
The explosion took place around 11 p.m. CDT and was captured on SpaceX’s livestream as the Starship rocket was being prepared for a flight test.
In a statement, the company said it was preparing the Starship for its tenth flight test when it “experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand.”
SpaceX said the safety clear area around the rocket test site was “maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.”
The company said there are “no hazards to residents in surrounding communities,” but urged locals to “ not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”
A spokesperson for the Brownsville Fire Department told ABC affiliate KRGV-TV that firefighters have been dispatched to the site of the explosion, but the full scale of the incident was unknown to them.
This is a developing story.
