Texas, United States: Elon Musk’s SpaceX testing site in Texas in the US suffered another major blow on Wednesday after a Starship rocket exploded into a gigantic fireball when preparing for a flight test. The accident halted preparations for the SpaceX’s ambitious Starship project. The incident occurred at around 11 pm local time at SpaceX testing site in Massey.

The explosion has reportedly caused huge damage to the Starship prototype, while forcing the aerospace company to suspend all launch preparations indefinitely. Notably, the latest failure follows a string of high-profile setbacks for the company’s Starship programmes in 2025.

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In a X post, SpaceX said that on June 18, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase.

“A safety area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,” the space firm said, adding that its Starbase team is actively working to save the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials.

“There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safety operations continue,” the company posted.

On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted…

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 19, 2025

The company also said that it directed people not to approach the area, adding no injuries were caused. There were no hazards to the surrounding communities, SpaceX assured.

In 2025 alone, two Starship test flights faced setbacks after ending up in explosions shortly after their launches. While one aircraft disintegrated over the Caribbean, another went out of control and broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean. The Federal Aviation Administration has launched probes into each incident, leading to temporary airspace closures and thorough safety reviews.

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The company had been targeting June 29 for its next major Starship flight, which would mark the tenth test of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket system.

SpaceX’s Starship is key to Billionaire Musk’s vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species. The project aims for several missions, including voyages to Mars and lunar.