SpaceX Starship Explodes in Fiery On-Camera Blast in Texas

SpaceX’s ambitions to reach Mars took another fiery hit late Wednesday night when the company’s Starship rocket exploded at its launch site in southern Texas and it was all caught on camera.

At around 11 p.m., what was intended to be the tenth flight test of Elon Musk’s flagship rocket turned into a dramatic failure. According to SpaceX, the cause was a “major anomaly,” and the company is now working with local officials to secure the area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported despite the magnitude of the blast.

The explosion occurred during pre-launch testing and involved at least two violent detonations, according to a livestream of the event. Debris rained down around the Starbase facility, and while the surrounding communities were not affected, the incident marks another setback for the Mars-bound mission.

• The explosion was the third major failure for Starship in 2025.

• In May, a test flight spun out of control mid-air.

• In March, the rocket exploded just minutes after liftoff.

Elon Musk took to X to joke that the explosion was “just a scratch,” but later clarified that early data pointed to a failure in a nitrogen COPV (composite overwrapped pressure vessel) located in the payload bay.

“If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design,” Musk posted.

While Musk’s tone remains upbeat, critics question the real-world viability of his Mars timeline. With repeated test failures, Starship has yet to complete a full mission profile, and each high-profile misfire adds more pressure to deliver results especially with billions in public and private investment riding on the project.

Musk has promised that Starship will one day carry humans to Mars, revolutionize space travel, and serve as the backbone for NASA’s future Moon missions. But as of now, the only thing Starship seems to launch consistently is debris.

Support bold ventures or scrutinize the hype either way, this latest failure is one Musk and SpaceX can’t just laugh off.

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