Elon Musk's 'three-word' reply on SpaceX test rocket explosion

A SpaceX Starship upper stage exploded during a routine engine test at the company’s

Starbase facility

in South Texas earlier this week, resulting in the complete loss of the spacecraft and damage to the surrounding test stand area, SpaceX confirmed. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. local time on June 19, just before the planned 10th flight test of the 403-foot Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket. Designed to be fully reusable, Starship is a critical part of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s vision to colonize Mars. The vehicle comprises a Super Heavy booster and a 171-foot upper-stage spacecraft, intended to succeed SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets for diverse space missions.In a statement posted on Twitter, SpaceX described the explosion as a “major anomaly” during preparations at Starbase. The company emphasized that a safety perimeter was maintained, and no injuries were reported. “All personnel are safe and accounted for,” SpaceX said, adding that its team is working with local authorities to secure the site and assess environmental and safety impacts. The company confirmed that materials inside Starship pose no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks, and there are no hazards to nearby Rio Grande Valley communities.Responding to a post on the explosion, Elon Musk wrote: “Room for improvement”This setback follows a May 2025 incident where a Starship prototype broke apart after losing altitude control due to engine failures during ascent, scattering debris over the Atlantic Ocean and causing temporary flight disruptions in Florida, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration.

SpaceX’s challenges coincide with delays in other missions. On Friday, the International Space Station announced that the Axiom-4 mission, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, was postponed again. Originally set for June 19, the launch was rescheduled to June 22 due to issues with a Falcon 9 spacecraft but has now been delayed further, with NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX evaluating new launch dates.SpaceX is coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies to address the Starship incident’s aftermath while continuing its ambitious push toward interplanetary travel.