SpaceX Starship 36 Test Ends in Fiery Explosion at SpaceX’s Starbase
SpaceX’s Starship project suffered another serious setback as the Starship 36 test vehicle blew up in a ground test at the company’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The blast late on June 18, 2025, was occurring during a static fire test-in which rocket engines were fired while the vehicle is stationary.
The explosion created a stunning fireball that engulfed the prototype and destroyed the test rig. Although the explosion scattered shrapnel around the launch pad, no one was injured. Safety measures were implemented immediately to contain the destruction.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk reacted on Twitter by minimizing the severity of the accident with “Just a scratch,” then “Room for improvement.” He later explained that a high-pressure nitrogen Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) in the payload bay was most likely to have caused the failure—to be the first ever recorded failure using this component in the Starship series.
This is the fourth significant 2025 Starship failure, coming after previous accidents in January, March, and May. All of this to no avail, however, the firm’s test-addicted culture of driving innovation faster—to go faster than anyone else—remains an signature part of SpaceX‘s modus operandi.
The Starship rocket is a central component of SpaceX’s far-flung ambitions, such as future trips to Mars and NASA’s Artemis Moon mission. Serial failures, though, will impact future test schedules and push back on significant milestones, particularly because Starship is the only spacecraft currently tasked with taking astronauts to the Moon for Artemis.
While others wonder if Starship technology is safe and reliable, Musk will not be swayed from consistent efforts at improving the technology. SpaceX’s incremental method is to learn to fail in the real world in order to build superior systems faster. Every test, including those that explode, is scouted for useful data that is utilized to improve rocket design, materials, and safety systems.
As SpaceX probes the reason behind this latest failure, observers in the industry hold their breath for announcements regarding test schedules and potential implications for NASA partnerships. Meanwhile, the Starship program continues unabated—undaunted by failure and fueled in its mission to disrupt space travel.
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