A supposedly routine static test firing of a SpaceX Starship rocket ended in a gigantic ball of flame in a huge explosion at Elon Musk’s Starbase facility in South Texas. In a statement, SpaceX said the rocket suffered “a major anomaly” while on a test stand at Starbase.

“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” the company explained. “Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials,” it added, noting that there “are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safe operations continue.”

According to local reports the Starship’s ‘nose’ burst open on Starship #36 which suffered – in SpaceX parlance – a ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’.

What’s uncertain at the moment is not just the total loss of the rocket but how much damage was done to the test pad and other ancillary support elements at Starbase.

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Tags: elon musk, spacex, starship