A so-called booster from space company SpaceX has exploded during a test in the US state of Texas, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirms. A video of the explosion of the missile component can also be seen on Twitter.
There were no immediate indications that people were injured in the explosion. The missile part remained upright even after the explosion. According to musk the damage is assessed.
The first stage of the spacecraft, the so-called Super Heavy Booster 7, is a component with 33 rocket engines. A first stage is intended to propel a rocket into the air shortly after launch.
In the future, the Super Heavy Booster 7 will launch the second stage of the Starship spacecraft into orbit.
Starship’s second stage, which will carry thousands of Starlink’s satellites into space, was not yet on the booster when it exploded.
Starship is the tallest rocket ever built. Musk hoped that the Starship would make its first test flight into space in July, but that has become uncertain due to the explosion of the booster.