SpaceX rocket being tested in Texas explodes, but no injuries reported

A SpaceX rocket being tested in Texas exploded on Wednesday night, sending a dramatic fireball high into the sky.

The company said the Starship “experienced a major anomaly” at about 11pm while on the test stand preparing for the 10th flight test at Starbase, SpaceX’s launch site at the southern tip of the US state.

“A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX said in a statement on X.

It marked the latest in a series of incidents involving Starship rockets.

On January 16, one of the massive rockets broke apart in what the company called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”, sending trails of flaming debris near the Caribbean.

Two months later, Space X lost contact with another Starship during a March 6 test flight as the spacecraft broke apart, with wreckage seen streaming over Florida.

Following the back-to-back explosions, one of the 123-metre (403ft) Starship rockets, launched from Starbase, tumbled out of control and broke apart on March 27.

SpaceX had hoped to release a series of mock satellites following lift-off, but this was halted when the door failed to open all the way. The spacecraft then began spinning and made an uncontrolled landing in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk (Susan Walsh/AP). PA Media

At the time, SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk called the launch “a big improvement” from the two previous demonstrations and promised a much faster launch pace moving forward, with a Starship soaring every three to four weeks for the next three flights.

SpaceX said Wednesday night’s explosion posed no hazards to nearby communities. It asked people not to try to approach the site.

The company said it was working with local officials to respond to the explosion.