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SpaceX Starship Prototype Explodes During Texas Testing

SpaceX’s Starship prototype partially exploded during pressure testing at Boca Chica, Texas, on November 20.

The ‘Mk1’ rocket section, part of a reusable large-scale spaceship system the company hopes will be able to travel to Mars and beyond, spectacularly burst, spewing components into the air.

SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk tweeted that the Mk1 prototype “had some value as a manufacturing pathfinder, but flight design is quite different” after the explosion.

The company said in a statement that the purpose of the Boca Chica test was to “pressurize systems to the max, so the outcome was not completely unexpected.”

“There were no injuries, nor is this a serious setback,” it added.

The incident was captured on video by local space enthusiasts, who were live-streaming the Starship testing. Credit: LabPadre w/ Maria Pointer via Storyful