SpaceX's upgraded Starship suffers explosion during testing | TechCrunch

"Live streamers who watch SpaceX's Starbase complex closely caught the explosion in the pre-dawn hours Friday, around 4:00 a.m. local time. Unlike the more fireball-type explosions SpaceX has dealt with while developing its rockets in the past, this one appears to have blown out an entire side of the lower section of the booster - and left the rest of it standing. It also happened very early in the process. The booster didn't even have rocket engines installed yet, according to Ars Technica."

"The booster was the first major piece of what SpaceX is referring to as Starship version three, or "V3." Starship V3 is supposed to be larger, more powerful, more reliable, and capable of docking other Starships in orbit around the Earth - a crucial piece of SpaceX's plan for getting to the Moon and Mars. (The company flew the final V2 design in October.) SpaceX and Elon Musk have yet to comment on the explosion. The company didn't respond to a request for comment Friday."

"But any significant delay to its testing program could put SpaceX's overall plans at risk. The company has been aiming at a very busy 2026 for Starship. That includes demonstrating the ability to transfer fuel to Starship from a "tanker" version of the rocket while in orbit. SpaceX needs to prove that capability to NASA before it can proceed with crewed missions to the Moon, which it is reportedly targeting for 2028."

SpaceX rolled out an upgraded Starship V3 booster in South Texas and began tests before a pre-dawn explosion around 4:00 a.m. local time. Live streamers and nearby creators captured video and photos showing significant damage. The blast appears to have blown out an entire side of the lower booster section while leaving the remainder standing; engines had not yet been installed, according to Ars Technica. The booster was the first major piece of the V3 design, which aims for larger size, greater power, improved reliability, and on-orbit docking capability to support Moon and Mars missions. SpaceX and Elon Musk have not commented.

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