A serious accident occurred at SpaceX’s South Texas facility during tests of the next-generation Starship rocket. Just a few hours after the company rolled out its upgraded “V3” booster to the test stand, an explosion was recorded.
The incident happened early Friday morning, at around 4:00 a.m. local time. According to the company’s official statement, the failure occurred during “pressurization tests of the gas system.” Footage shows that the blast completely destroyed the side of the rocket’s lower section, though the vehicle did not topple and remained upright. Experts noted that no engines had yet been installed on the booster at the time of the explosion. The area had been cleared in advance for safety, so no injuries were reported.
The “Starship V3” version is designed to be larger, more powerful, and more reliable, forming the backbone of the company’s planned missions to the Moon and eventually Mars. However, it remains unclear how much this explosion will delay the testing schedule.
Tensions are further heightened by growing competition. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy recently criticized SpaceX for slow progress on its lunar mission work and suggested that the contract could potentially be awarded to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. Meanwhile, Blue Origin continues to successfully test its rival “New Glenn” rocket.
