The explosion is not the first for SpaceX and comes on the heels of a string of set backs for the 400-foot rocket system this year.
The company designs, builds and manufactures advanced rockets with the end goal of enabling people to live on other planets.
The blast took place about 11 p.m. local time during testing for the mega rocket in Brownsville, a city in Cameron County on the state's southwest Gulf Coast, SpaceX announced on X.
Starship, "experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand," the post reads. "Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials."
The company, founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, reported no injuries in the blast but asked people to avoid the area as a precaution.
"There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities," the post continues.
USA TODAY has reached out to SpaceX for more information.
The official cause of the blast remained under investigation on June 19, 2025.
“Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,” Musk said in a post on X, referencing a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (a nitrogen gas storage unit). “If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design."
