Elon Musk Jokes About Large SpaceX Rocket Explosion: ‘Just a Scratch’

SpaceX owner Elon Musk wrote “Just a scratch” on social media after the company’s Starship rocket exploded into a fireball before a schedule test flight on Wednesday.

The rocket suffered a “major anomaly,” SpaceX said of the blast, which occurred about 11 p.m. local time at the Massey’s Testing Center in Texas. “All personnel are safe and accounted for” and there are “no hazards to residents,” it added.

Why It Matters

This is the third setback of the year for the Starship program, SpaceX’s central project for future lunar and martian missions. Starship, which was pitched as the world’s most powerful rocket, is integral to NASA‘s Artemis program as well as SpaceX’s private plans for deep space travel.

Musk has a habit of downplaying any malfunctions or “rapid disassembly” of SpaceX projects, describing an explosion in May with the phrase: “Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!”

What To Know

Starship’s upper stage, known simply as Ship, was undergoing preparations for a static-fire test, an exercise in which engines are fired while the rocket is restrained on the ground, when the explosion occurred.

Video from NASASpaceflight.com captured the incident, which sent a fireball into the night sky. In the footage, the rocket can be seen standing in the dock, before seemingly exploding without warning.

Footage of the SpaceX Starship at the Texas launch site, on June 18, 2025.
Footage of the SpaceX Starship at the Texas launch site, on June 18, 2025.
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The explosion sent waves of fire toward cameras monitoring the event, with slo-mo footage suggestng different parts of the ship exploded at different times, seemingly in a chain reaction.

Shortly after the explosion, SpaceX issued a statement confirming that “[a]ll personnel are safe and accounted for,” saying that “a safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation.”

The company also reported no hazards posed to residents in the surrounding areas and urged the public not to approach the test site while safety operations continued.

This explosion marked another in a series of technical problems for Starship. Explosions also took place after test launches in January and March 2025.

What People Are Saying

A SpaceX statement on the explosion said: “On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.

“Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”

Mike Gruntman, a professor of astronautics at the University of Southern California, told Newsweek that each test failure informed the next test, and that explosions were often welcomed because of the learning experience they provide to engineers.

“In general, one either adds a few more capabilities on each fly to test or tries to do the entire system on each flight. The latter was an approach by the Apollo program, and it allowed to put man on the moon within a decade.”

What Happens Next

The precise launch date for Starship’s tenth test flight remains uncertain, pending the outcome of ongoing investigations and recovery efforts. SpaceX has indicated continued coordination with local authorities and federal agencies as it works toward resuming its test campaign.