SpaceX Super Heavy Rocket Booster Explodes During Testing, Elon Musk Says They Are Assessing Damage

SpaceX's super heavy Starship rocket booster unexpectedly exploded during testing.

The testing of the booster was done in its launch pad and therefore reports no casualties to the employees nearby.

The recorded explosion was limited to the sound, fire, and shaking that was seen in the filmed broadcast of the testing. However, there is definitely damage in the rocket booster itself.

The rumble rocked SpaceX's rocket testing facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, on Monday afternoon while the company was conducting pre-launch testing on a prototype of its next-generation Super Heavy rocket booster.

NASASpaceflight, which was livestreaming the test from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, shared footage of the dramatic blast that it captured while it was broadcasting.

Regardless of the intensity of it, which took place at the bottom of the rocket, the vehicle appeared to have survived and is still intact.

However, for more than an hour after the bang took place, smoke could be seen pouring out of the location where it had taken place.

SpaceX Rocket Booster

SpaceX was conducting their testing with the prototype booster. However, flames erupted from the engines at approximately 4:20 p.m. Central Time, and an explosion was heard in the air.

This caused the cameras that were recording the test from a distance to shake.

According to Business Insider, the incident was captured by NASASpaceflight in a livestream of the test that was being conducted.

The commentators at NASASpaceflight, who follow SpaceX's plans and activities very closely, stated that the explosion came as a complete surprise to them.

It came as a surprise since aeronautic space companies have always been known to send notices to the local community.

The notices that SpaceX typically publishes in advance of an engine test-fire had not been distributed by the company.

Starship with all of its components, including super heavy booster is designed and developed to help empower its Starship rocket to one day propel its massive Starship rocket into orbit around the Earth.

Elon Musk, the company's current CEO and founder, envisions using the system to one day establish a self-sufficient community on Mars.

The SpaceX CEO Elon musk also went to Twitter and commented about the explosion that was recorded in a video confirming that it was also unexpected on their end.

The CEO stated that their team is currently assessing the damage, "Yeah, actually not good. Team is assessing damage."

SpaceX Delayed Booster Launch

SpaceX has not revealed further information on what caused the explosion just yet, although the company has already confirmed in his tweet that they are still investigating.

They include keeping the local community informed of work at the site and monitoring nearby animal and plant populations to ensure they're not adversely affected by launch events.

According to Digital Trends, SpaceX intends to launch a Starship rocket into orbit atop the booster in July.

For the rocket booster to be able to fly without incident, it is required to pass a number of tests, including the one that took place on Monday.

However, the explosion that occurred on the launchpad on Monday could potentially delay any launch plans until August or even later.

When this rocket booster will launch off the ground, it is reported to be the most powerful rocket to fly.

Additionally, it has more than double the capacity of the Saturn V rocket that ventured to the moon as it has 17 million pounds of thrust ignited by 33 Raptor engines.