SpaceX’s Starship 36 Explodes During Static Fire Test in Texas
United States: An audacious test of Elon Musk’s SpaceX vision spiraled into chaos late Wednesday night as the towering Starship 36 succumbed to a fiery demise during a procedural check at the company’s South Texas Starbase enclave. The incident dealt another blow to Musk’s relentless crusade to plant humanity’s footprint among the stars.
The rocket, poised mightily on the launch cradle, suddenly gave way to calamity. At approximately 11 PM local time (0400 GMT), an incandescent burst lit up the coastal night sky, as detailed in an alert disseminated via Cameron County officials’ Facebook channel.
Captured footage showcased the behemoth rocket standing inert—until an abrupt ignition swallowed it in a towering pyre of flames, rattling the air with its devastating crescendo.
SpaceX Issues Brief Reassurance Amid Destruction
According to SpaceX’s cryptic dispatch, Starship 36 was undergoing preparations for its tenth experimental run when it encountered a “severe anomaly” during static testing—a ground-based ignition intended to verify system integrity without liftoff. Further elucidation on the malfunction was withheld.