Overview

• The Super Heavy prototype detonated seconds after engine ignition at Starbase near Brownsville during a routine preflight test on June 18, triggering secondary explosions and a blaze that smoldered for over an hour.
• SpaceX confirmed all personnel remained safe and that a security perimeter was maintained as teams worked with local authorities to secure the site.
• This incident marks the latest in a series of high-profile failures for the Starship program, which has seen nearly every test vehicle destroyed during development flights.
• The static fire was part of preparations for Starship’s tenth test launch following May’s ninth flight, which reached orbit before breaking apart over the Indian Ocean.
• Under a $4 billion NASA contract, SpaceX is pressed to resolve technical faults as it refines Starship for future lunar and Mars missions.