Standing at over 400 feet tall, SpaceX’s Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever created. So, what happens when a vehicle of such mass explodes? Well, we found out at 11 PM CST on Wednesday, June 18.
At Massey’s testing center in Boca Chica, Texas, the Starship rocket exploded while in preparation for a ground test. Following the incident was the eruption of a massive fireball, debris propelled thousands of feet, wreckage lying all around, and portions of the launch site totally decimated. The area was smoldering even ten hours later, which makes sense considering the nearly-full fuel tank equipped with 1,200 tonnes of liquid oxygen and liquid methane.
For some context, the rocket wasn’t supposed to actually take off. Rather, it was a static fire test. The rocket was to stay latched-on to its launch mount while solely the engines ignited. However, instead of just being the spacecraft’s 10th test flight, it ended up being Spacex’s fourth explosion this year.
Yet, despite its severity, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk maintained that the incident was “just a scratch” in a post on X the following morning. On the flip side, local officials dubbed it a “catastrophic failure”. Luckily, although local residents confirmed seeing their windows and dishes shake and rattle, no one was injured and there were no hazards caused to surrounding communities.
Post-explosion, SpaceX assured that “a safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel [were] safe and accounted for”. They also ensured that the team was “actively working to [secure] the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials”.
Now, as previously stated, this wasn’t SpaceX’s first mishap. The company has seen multiple failures, malfunctions, and even prior explosions with past tests and spacecraft. But despite the consistent faults, the Federal Aviation Administration approved increasing the number of annual Starship launches from 5 to a whopping 25. They even ignored environmental concerns raised by conservation groups.
Earlier this year, SpaceX released Starship Version 2. This model added 25% propellant capacity, reduced dry mass, a new Raptor 3 engine, redesigned forward flaps, and a more robust heat shield. However, the first two test flights each failed mere minutes after takeoff. A third test flight a couple months later lost complete control and went into an uncontrolled dive into the Ocean.
So, what is SpaceX hoping to actually achieve with all these failed test flights and spaceships? Well, Elon Musk has his sights set on the Red Planet, with goals for the company to send up to five cargo vehicles to Mars by late 2026. And although a very ambitious goal, Musk stated that he believed the feasibility of the project to be at a “50/50 chance”. However, with this most recent explosion as a new addition to previous failures, the chances might just be a lot slimmer than he claimed.
At the end of the day, SpaceX has bold ambitions but also explosive setbacks – like, literally. While the company attempts to try and advance space exploration, incidents like these raise questions about oversight, safety, and of course, feasibility. So how close are we really to turning intended Mars missions, like SpaceX’s, from speculation to reality? Likely not close enough until we can manage to make it past Earth’s atmosphere without erupting into pieces.
Written by Saanvika Gandhari
