A SpaceX explosion was reported late Wednesday night during testing at the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas. The company described the incident as “a major anomaly.” No injuries have been reported.
In a statement posted to X, SpaceX said a safety perimeter had been in place during the operation.
“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” the company said.
The SpaceX explosion happened at around 11 p.m. CT, while the rocket was being prepared for its tenth flight test.
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SpaceX said there are no hazards to residents in nearby communities. However, the company urged people to stay away from the area while it works with local officials to ensure the site is safe.
The incident adds to a string of recent setbacks involving the company’s Starship rockets.
In January, one rocket broke apart near the Caribbean, trailing smoke and debris. Another rocket was lost during a test flight in March after breaking apart over Florida. A third rocket launched from Texas later spun out of control and crashed into the Indian Ocean.
The explosion also comes during a tense period between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, Trump posted on Truth Social:
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Later that day, Musk responded on X:
“In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”
Musk deleted the post hours later. When an X user called on both men to de-escalate, Musk replied:
“Good advice. OK, we won’t decommission Dragon.”
Despite the public feud, SpaceX remains a vital government partner.
At the end of 2024, the company reported holding $22 billion in US government contracts. In April 2025, the US Space Force awarded SpaceX a $5.9 billion contract, making it the Pentagon’s top satellite launch provider.
(TIME)
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