SpaceX’s First Starship V3 Booster Suffers Explosion During Early Testing

[madtrader]

SpaceX’s upgraded Starship V3 booster exploded during gas system pressure testing early Friday morning at the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
The blast, captured by livestreamers around 4 a.m., blew out a large section of the booster’s lower structure — despite the rocket not yet having engines installed.

SpaceX confirmed the explosion and said no injuries occurred, noting the area had been cleared before testing. The company says teams are investigating the cause.

Starship V3 is expected to be larger, more reliable, and capable of on-orbit docking — a critical milestone for future lunar and Mars missions.

[Rimon Khan]

Early-stage prototypes exploding is basically part of SpaceX culture.

[Nahid Hossen]

V3 booster looks powerful, but controlling that power is the challenge.