Latest news with #Ship36
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Musk On Starship Blast: 'Just a Scratch'
A dramatic explosion rocked SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, late Wednesday night. The company's newest Starship prototype erupted in flames during a 'static fire' test. No injuries were reported. According to a statement posted by SpaceX on social media, the company confirmed that the rocket, known as Ship 36 and designated for the highly anticipated tenth Starship test flight, suffered a 'major anomaly' while still secured on the test stand around 11 p.m. local time. 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for. Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities,' SpaceX continued. The explosion, captured live on several webcams run by various enthusiasts, including a clear video post by X user 'ai_for_success', was shared across social media, eliciting a spectrum of reactions ranging from concern and questions to sheer awe. Another clip shared by the Cameron County Constable Precinct 1 Office showed thick smoke billowing from the Texas test site as startled observers reacted in real time. Starship is, or was, SpaceX's next-generation heavy-lift rocket system — a crucial part of Elon Musk's plans for long-range space missions, including potential crewed flights to the Moon and Mars. Wednesday's explosion marks another setback in the Starship development timeline, though SpaceX has consistently emphasized a test-heavy, fail-forward approach. CEO Elon Musk appeared unfazed by the starships' explosion, taking to X early Thursday morning to post a brief comment: 'Just a scratch.' Explosive test failures have long been part of the company's development plan and have eventually produced historic successes like the Falcon 9 reusable rockets, as previously covered by DX. With its huge modern stainless-steel frame and ability to carry humans and cargo beyond Earth's orbit, SpaceX and its Starship launches remain a leader of America's private-sector space exploration, even if the journey includes some fiery missteps. The missteps themselves, even explosive launches, can offer crucial failure data or other extreme testing limits to Musk and his team. Therefore, they are not a failure but more of a research run. SpaceX has yet to confirm the extent of the damage to the test site and launchpad or when launch operations will resume as of Thursday afternoon.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Video shows SpaceX Starship explosion at Texas launch site
A SpaceX Starship exploded at a launch site in Texas Wednesday night, bursting into a massive fireball. Video shows the explosion, which SpaceX said occurred as the Starship was preparing for a flight test. The Starship "experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," SpaceX's launch site in Texas, the company said on X. "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," SpaceX said. The company said there are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities and asked that people avoid the area "while safing operations continue." Video from LabPadre, the company that monitors SpaceX activities at Starbase, appears to show two major explosions — the first near the rocket's nose, and the second on the left side of the spacecraft. The Starship was being filled with liquid oxygen and high-energy methane fuel at the time the detonations happened. Starship is comprised of a spacecraft and a Super Heavy rocket that together are intended to be a reusable system that can carry cargo and crew to the moon and Mars. SpaceX has launched nine Super Heavy-Starship test flights over the last 2 years, with the first three ending with explosions or breakups and the next three being partially successful. The next two resulted in explosions and the most recent flight, in May, reached its trajectory but broke up during atmospheric entry after spinning out of control. Known as Ship 36, SpaceX was planning to launch the Starship around the end of this month on a huge Super Heavy booster, in what would have been the rocket's tenth test fight. Teen questioned after family's quadruple murder SpaceX Starship upper stage blows up Hurricane Erick approaches Mexico with destructive winds, major storm surge
Arabian Post
12 hours ago
- Science
- Arabian Post
Starship Static‑Fire Test Ends in Explosive Failure
A dramatic explosion ripped through SpaceX's Starbase test site near Brownsville, Texas, at approximately 11 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, June 18, when the Starship prototype designated Ship 36 detonated during a routine static‑fire test ahead of its anticipated tenth flight. The stainless‑steel vehicle was engulfed in flames following a 'major anomaly' while being fuel‑led for a multiple‑engine ignition sequence, according to SpaceX. All personnel remained outside the secured perimeter and were confirmed safe, and there were no hazards reported to neighbouring communities. The incident triggered a massive fireball that illuminated the night sky, accompanied by a deep boom that rattled windows and prompted concern among South Texas residents. Local emergency services and SpaceX teams responded swiftly to contain the blaze, which smouldered for over two hours after the blast. Ship 36 had undergone a single‑engine static fire on June 16 and was being loaded with liquid methane and oxygen for a six‑engine ignition when it suffered catastrophic failure. While details remain scarce, video feeds captured an initial eruption near the nose section, followed by a secondary blast near the vehicle's side, culminating in a fiery detonation that obliterated the test stand. ADVERTISEMENT SpaceX characterised the event as a 'rapid unscheduled disassembly,' reiterating that safety protocols functioned as intended. The company confirmed through its X account that the site was secured, all employees were safe, and there was no impending risk to surrounding residential zones. The explosion delivers a significant blow to SpaceX's high‑tempo test programme. Ship 36 was central to the upcoming tenth integrated flight test, tentatively scheduled for late June, following FAA notices suggesting a launch window around 29 June. The blast is now expected to delay that timeline. Ship 36 is part of a succession of upper stage prototypes built with lessons from earlier failures. This spring, Ship 33 was lost mid‑flight, and Ship 34 disintegrated after engine shutdowns. Ship 35 achieved flight but was lost during re‑entry in Flight 9 on May 27 due to attitude control issues over the Indian Ocean. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX continues to follow its iterative testing model—'fail fast, learn fast'—to refine design and reliability for the massive Super Heavy–Starship system. In statements after previous explosions, CEO Elon Musk has noted that such events are part of the development process and maintain optimism about achieving high‑frequency launches. The blast's impact on Starbase infrastructure remains unclear. Initial reports indicate that fires continued well into the early hours of Thursday, but the structural and logistical damage to test‑stand facilities has not yet been quantified. SpaceX has deployed teams alongside local authorities to secure the site and begin assessments. Ship 36's loss will likely compel SpaceX to adjust schedules for its Artemis lunar programme and the planned orbital Starship missions. The starship upper stage is slated to act as the Human Landing System for NASA's Artemis 3 lunar landing mission in 2027, and delays in prototype testing could compress the development timeline. SpaceX's core objective remains unchanged: delivering fully reusable launch systems to support deep‑space missions, including human travel to Mars by the mid‑2020s. The firm is progressing with development of a 'V3' Starship design, intended to enable weekly launches next year. Ship 36 represented the refined 'V2' design, offering increased propellant capacity, lower mass and improved system redundancy. Local communities were warned to avoid the perimeter while recovery operations continue. The Federal Aviation Administration has signalled strong regulatory backing, recently granting Starbase approval for up to 25 launches and 50 landings annually.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Elon Musk reacts to SpaceX's Starship blast with a casual three-word response. Here's what he said
A prototype of SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded late Tuesday night during fueling operations at the company's test facility in Boca Chica, Texas, lighting up the night sky and scattering debris across the site. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle — designated Ship 36 — was completely destroyed. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. Central Time as engineers were preparing for a static fire test of the ship's six Raptor engines . Static fires are routine pre-launch procedures that involve igniting the engines while the rocket remains anchored to the test stand. According to SpaceX, the vehicle experienced a 'major anomaly' during the liquid oxygen and methane fueling stage. Footage shared by local observers showed a sudden and intense explosion engulfing the test stand, followed by flames and shockwaves visible from miles away. Residents near the coastal launch site reported tremors and a burst of light that briefly lit up the surrounding area. In a post on X, Elon Musk reacted to the explosion with the words: 'just a scratch.' The remark, while understated, is in line with SpaceX's long-standing approach of learning through high-risk test campaigns. — elonmusk (@elonmusk) Live Events No injuries, but launch timeline now in question SpaceX confirmed that all personnel were safe and a safety perimeter had been maintained throughout the test. 'Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials,' the company said in a statement. Authorities also clarified that there was no danger to nearby communities and asked the public to stay away from the area while securing operations continue. The failed test marks another setback for the Starship program, which is central to SpaceX's long-term vision of deep space exploration. Ship 36 had been undergoing final system checks ahead of its scheduled test flight, which was tentatively planned for June 29. The company was also preparing to reuse a Super Heavy booster for the first time — a milestone in its drive to make spaceflight fully reusable. Mars ambitions remain, despite recent setbacks This is not the first major mishap for Starship this year. Two previous test flights in 2025 ended in explosions — one over the Atlantic and another over the Caribbean. In both cases, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched investigations, and temporary airspace restrictions followed. Despite these challenges, SpaceX continues to pursue ambitious plans for Mars. Musk has said the company remains committed to launching an uncrewed Starship to the Red Planet by late 2026, potentially carrying a payload that includes humanoid Optimus robots developed by Tesla. Human missions would follow in later phases, with Musk envisioning a fleet of up to 2,000 Starships eventually ferrying people and cargo to establish a permanent settlement. For now, however, the focus returns to Starbase, where engineers will comb through data from Tuesday night's explosion in an effort to identify the cause and refine safety protocols. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
India Today
13 hours ago
- Science
- India Today
Honeymoon murder case: Second weapon found, Sonam's mysterious 112 calls probed
2:38 A SpaceX rocket exploded during a flight test at the company's base. The incident, involving Ship 36, occurred during a control test before launch. SpaceX has confirmed no casualties were reported.
