SpaceX’s ambitious journey to develop the Starship rocket hit another intense moment on Wednesday night in Texas.
During what should have been a routine engine test, things took a fiery turn that startled everyone watching — including nearby residents.
Static Fire Test Turns Into a Spectacular Explosion
At Elon Musk’s Starbase test site around 11 p.m., the Starship 36 was undergoing a static fire test.
This type of test involves igniting the rocket’s engines while it’s securely held down on the launch pad — meaning it wasn’t actually launching.
But suddenly, footage captured the rocket’s nose bursting open with a bright flash that lit up the night sky.
What followed was a huge fireball spreading across the ground, sending thick black smoke billowing upward.
The screen from the footage even flashed white for a moment, showing how intense the blast was.
Local Residents Felt the Impact
People living nearby reported that the explosion was powerful enough to shake windows and rattle dishes inside their homes. Firefighters were quickly on the scene to respond, and the City of Port Isabel issued a statement saying that SpaceX experienced a “spacecraft anomaly” during testing.
Officials warned residents that they might hear or feel the aftereffects and provided a way for anyone to report damage.
It’s clear that while no launch was planned, the incident still had a significant impact on the community.
Not the First Fiery Setback for Starship
This fiery test failure isn’t new for SpaceX. Just weeks ago, a different Starship rocket, towering 403 feet tall, exploded over the Indian Ocean during a test flight.
That mission aimed to deploy eight Starlink satellite simulators and evaluate the rocket’s reentry system, which had intentionally removed some heat-shield tiles.
While the initial launch went well, the Super Heavy booster part of the rocket suffered a catastrophic engine failure during its splashdown attempt, causing a fiery end to the test.
SpaceX acknowledged the booster’s loss but emphasized the test’s extreme nature meant such failures were expected.
Previous Test Failures Show the Challenge of Space Innovation
Only last month, the 35th version of Starship also encountered trouble during another static fire test.
An object unexpectedly flew out of the flame trench — a deep channel designed to divert the rocket’s fiery exhaust safely away from the pad.
Despite these dramatic setbacks, SpaceX sees huge value in every test, successful or not.
SpaceX Stays Focused on Learning and Rapid Progress
The company stressed that tests like these are essential for improving Starship’s reliability, as part of Elon Musk’s vision to make humanity a multi-planetary species.
Musk himself promised faster turnaround times for the next three flights, aiming for a launch about every three to four weeks.
In their official statement, SpaceX highlighted how unpredictable developmental testing is by nature.
But they believe putting hardware through frequent real-world trials helps them quickly learn and refine the design.
Looking Ahead
While fiery explosions grab headlines, each test brings SpaceX closer to achieving a fully reusable Starship — one that could one day ferry people to Mars and beyond.
The company remains committed to pushing forward, turning lessons learned into breakthroughs.