SpaceX Starship bursts into flames after explosion at test site in Texas
In shocking footage the SpaceX rocket's nose suddenly bursts open - causing the screen to momentarily flash white, seconds later clouds of dark smoke filled the night sky
Dramatic footage shows a SpaceX fligh bursting into flames during a routine test in Texas on Wednesday night.
The fire happened at around 11pm last night when Starship 36 rocket was undergoing a static fire test at Elon Musk's Starbase test site. In shocking footage the rocket's nose suddenly bursts open - causing the screen to momentarily flash white.
It is understood that the static fire test is a pre-flight procedure whereby a rocket engine or a set of engines are ignited while the vehicle is firmly bolted to the launch mount. This means that the rocket was not set to launch Wednesday night when the explosion happened.
READ MORE: David Beckham's wholesome reaction to man gatecrashing knighthood celebration
The explosion was so intense local residents reported that their windows shook and dishes rattled, according to ValleyCentral.
Firefighters were quickly dispatched to the scene, as the City of Port Isabel explained to residents that SpaceX 'experienced a spacecraft anomaly during testing at its facility' and that it is monitoring the situation, KRGV reports.
It comes just weeks after its mega rocket Starship exploded. On its ninth demo, the 403-foot (123-metre) rocket blasted off from the Texas base, only for it to experience "a rapid unscheduled disassembly" - and burst apart.
Speaking after the demo, Mr Musk said: "I think I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics," a telling 13-word comment in reflection on his time as Donald Trump's senior advisor. Last month, Mr Musk, 53, conceded his time in this capacity would have to reduce fo he can concentrate on other projects.
And these may include his SpaceX work as the Starship is yet to successful take off. The entrepreneur continued: "It's less time than people think (on politics), because the media is going to over-represent any political stuff, because political bones of contention get a lot of traction in the media.
"It's not like I left the companies. It was a relative time allocation that probably was a little too high on the government side, and I've reduced that significantly in recent weeks."
Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE . Get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters .
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name.
- Follow The Mirror on Google News - CLICK HERE and click the star
- Follow The Mirror on Apple News - CLICK HERE available on Apple devices
- Follow The Mirror on Flipboard - CLICK HERE and click follow
You can sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news here @MirrorBreaking_ and follow us @DailyMirror , for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/dailymirror