By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

The world’s largest rocket, SpaceX’s towering Starship 36, reportedly exploded last night during a static fire test at a rocket station in South Texas, according to Sky News and other reports. The colossal spacecraft, owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s company, was undergoing a critical ground-based test when the incident occurred.

Standing approximately 40 stories tall, or 120 meters, Starship 36 is designed to be fully reusable and is integral to SpaceX’s long-term vision of colonizing Mars and enabling extensive lunar exploration. The vehicle, which took several months to construct at an estimated cost of $90 million, was being prepared for its tenth flight test. During a static fire test, the rocket’s powerful Raptor engines are ignited while the vehicle remains firmly anchored to the launch mount, allowing engineers to verify systems and performance without a full launch.

Fortunately, reports from SpaceX and local authorities confirm that there were no casualties or injuries to personnel. A safety clear area was maintained throughout the operation, ensuring no hazards to nearby communities. The explosion, which generated a massive fireball and rattled windows in surrounding areas, marks a significant setback in the development timeline for the Starship program. SpaceX has acknowledged the “major anomaly” and has initiated an investigation to determine the root cause of the incident.