Latest news with #SpaceXStarbase
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexico threatens lawsuit against SpaceX over Starship explosion 'contamination'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has threatened to file a lawsuit against SpaceX over what the leader described as "contamination" following an explosion at SpaceX's Starbase facility earlier this month. On June 18, SpaceX was testing the upper stage of its Starship vehicle on a test stand at its Starbase site near Boca Chica Beach in Texas when Starship exploded in a dramatic fireball. SpaceX wrote on social media that there were no hazards to the surrounding communities following the explosion. But Sheinbaum contests that claim. In a press conference held on Wednesday (June 25), the Mexican president said there is a "general review underway of the international laws that are being violated" due to the fact that "there is contamination" stemming from Starship's explosion, according to Yucatan Magazine. The Guardian reports that Sheinbaum added that her government is looking to file "the necessary lawsuits" over the alleged contamination. SpaceX's Starbase testing and manufacturing facility is located near Boca Chica Beach. The area is at the very southeastern tip of Texas along the Rio Grande river, which divides the United States and Mexico. The Mexican city of Heroica Matamoros sits just across the border from Boca Chica and nearby Brownsville, Texas. This isn't the first time SpaceX has been threatened with environmental lawsuits, not to mention other legal cases. A coalition of environmental groups sued the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023, claiming the agency did not conduct proper analyses of the damage Starship could cause to the surrounding areas, which are home to protected species of birds. In 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reported that SpaceX had violated the Clean Water Act after releasing pollutants into nearby body of waters, according to CNBC. SpaceX refuted the claims, calling the reporting "factually inaccurate." Starship launches — and explosions — have left significant amounts of debris throughout Boca Chica Beach and surrounding areas in the past. When Starship launched on its debut flight on April 20, 2023, the rocket's 33 first-stage Raptor engines sent chunks of cement and other debris flying for miles. Local residents described the launch as "terrifying" and compared it to an earthquake. Pieces of debris rained down in every direction, even crushing a nearby car. That flight ended in an equally dramatic fashion when SpaceX triggered its onboard flight termination system, causing the vehicle to explode some three minutes after liftoff. Fragments of the Starship vehicle were found along shores surrounding the area in the days following the flight. Starship's upper stage has exploded and/or crashed into the sea on eight of its nine of its test flights to date (on two launches, the company managed to return the vehicle's Super Heavy booster to Starbase, where it was caught by the 'chopstick' arms on its launch tower). On its fifth flight in November 2023, Starship managed to make a pinpoint splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Starship Blows Up--Again. What This Means for Tesla Investors Now
SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during a static fire test late Wednesday at the company's Starbase site in Texas, in what the company called a major anomaly. The blast lit up the night sky, shaking windows and rattling dishes across the area, according to local reports. The rocket was undergoing a routine pre-launch engine firing when it failedno injuries were reported. Starship 10 had no confirmed launch date, and with this latest incidentits fourth major setback in six monthsthe program's near-term trajectory could be in flux. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with HMC. For Elon Musk, the timing raises fresh challenges. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), his most visible company, is contending with weakening EV demand, while the Starship programcentral to NASA's ~$4 billion lunar contracthas now seen multiple setbacks. January's explosion was tied to a propellant leak, March's to a Raptor engine failure, and May's flight disintegrated midair. With this latest prototype destroyed before even lifting off, SpaceX will likely delay its next test as it completes another technical review. Still, not everything is stalled. SpaceX successfully caught a Starship booster last year using robotic armsnicknamed chopsticksas part of its plan to make Starship fully reusable. Musk has also floated the idea of sending Tesla-built robots to Mars as early as 2026. But as he steps back from political fights and re-engages with his core businesses, investors may be watching closely: whether he restructures the program or doubles down on engineering, confidence in Starship's roadmap could be facing new turbulence. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Starship Blows Up--Again. What This Means for Tesla Investors Now
SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during a static fire test late Wednesday at the company's Starbase site in Texas, in what the company called a major anomaly. The blast lit up the night sky, shaking windows and rattling dishes across the area, according to local reports. The rocket was undergoing a routine pre-launch engine firing when it failedno injuries were reported. Starship 10 had no confirmed launch date, and with this latest incidentits fourth major setback in six monthsthe program's near-term trajectory could be in flux. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with HMC. For Elon Musk, the timing raises fresh challenges. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), his most visible company, is contending with weakening EV demand, while the Starship programcentral to NASA's ~$4 billion lunar contracthas now seen multiple setbacks. January's explosion was tied to a propellant leak, March's to a Raptor engine failure, and May's flight disintegrated midair. With this latest prototype destroyed before even lifting off, SpaceX will likely delay its next test as it completes another technical review. Still, not everything is stalled. SpaceX successfully caught a Starship booster last year using robotic armsnicknamed chopsticksas part of its plan to make Starship fully reusable. Musk has also floated the idea of sending Tesla-built robots to Mars as early as 2026. But as he steps back from political fights and re-engages with his core businesses, investors may be watching closely: whether he restructures the program or doubles down on engineering, confidence in Starship's roadmap could be facing new turbulence. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Times of Oman
19-06-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
SpaceX rocket explodes into a massive fireball during test
Texas: A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded into a huge fireball while preparing for a routine test on Wednesday. The rocket, designed to be the most powerful in the world, was preparing for its tenth test flight at the SpaceX Starbase facility at the southern tip of Texas. Local officials confirmed the explosion took place at a time when the rocket was preparing for a "routine static fire test" of its engines. That means engineers were set to test the rocket's engines with the craft still held down on its launch pad. But something went wrong and the rocket exploded. SpaceX described the incident as a "major anomaly," writing in a statement on X that: "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for." CEO Elon Musk said there were no hazards to nearby communities and asked people not to approach the site.
Malay Mail
19-06-2025
- Science
- Malay Mail
Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship explodes during ‘routine' Texas test, no injuries reported
HOUSTON, June 19 — One of tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX Starships exploded during a routine test late yesterday in Texas, law enforcement said, adding that no one was injured. The Starship 36 suffered 'catastrophic failure and exploded' at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 11pm (0400 GMT Thursday), a Facebook post by the Cameron County authorities said. Musk's Space X said the rocket was preparing for the tenth flight test when it '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,' Space X added on social media. '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.' Starbase on the south Texas coast, near the border with Mexico, is the headquarters for Musk's space project. Standing 123m tall, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket and central to Musk's long-term vision of colonizing Mars. The latest setback follows an explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off on May 27 from the Starbase facility, but the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean. — AFP
