Prototype Starship rocket SpaceX explodes after test on launch pad

A prototype SpaceX rocket, the Starship SN4, exploded on Friday in Texas during a static fire test. It appears that little of the rocket is left and the launch pad is also damaged. The test has nothing to do with the US manned mission to the ISS.

It is not yet clear what exactly caused the explosion. The static fire test itself was successfully performed; the explosion followed about a minute later. According to commentary from NASASpaceFlight.com, the clouds that come off the rocket in the run-up to the explosion are also not common.

It is the fifth prototype of the Starship. The previous four often met a similar fate, with the exception of the SN2. Space.com writes that despite the catastrophic failure of the static fire test, the SN4 lasted the longest and is the most successful prototype of the Starship rocket to date.

If the test was successful, the plan was to have the rocket do a low-altitude test. Ultimately, the design is intended for transporting people to destinations such as the moon and Mars. In the meantime, work is already underway on the successor, the SN5. The second attempt to send a Falcon 9 rocket with Crew Dragon capsule and two NASA astronauts to the ISS will take place on Saturday evening at 9:00 PM.