TEXAS — A test of the SpaceX’s Starship program ended in an explosion Monday afternoon at the Boca Chica development facility in Texas, according to Tech Crunch. The test was using a prototype version of the Super Heavy booster the company is developing, which is supposed to provide the extra lift needed to get the spacecraft to orbit. The prototype had 33 of SpaceX’s larger Raptor engines on board.
NASA SpaceFlight tweeted a video of the test gone wrong, showing the launch pad catching on fire.
No injuries were reported. CEO Elon Musk tweeted in response to the video that the situation was “not good,” and that his team was assessing the damage.
According to Tech Crunch, Starship is planning its first orbital flight test this year, but that plan could be pushed back potentially after this incident. The FAA released a report in June of the steps Starship needs to take to mitigate the impact of its launch.