The explosion -- which sent a towering fireball into the air -- happened at the Starbase launch facility at about 11:00 pm (0400 GMT Thursday), SpaceX and law enforcement officials said.
“The explosion ignited several fires at the test site which remains clear of personnel,“ it said.
During a static fire test, part of the procedures preceding a launch, the Starship’s first-stage Super Heavy booster would be anchored to the ground to prevent it from lifting off during the test-firing.
“Initial analysis indicates the potential failure of a pressurized tank known as a COPV, or composite overwrapped pressure vessel, containing gaseous nitrogen in Starship’s nosecone area, but the full data review is ongoing,“ SpaceX said.
“Just a scratch,“ he posted on his social media platform X.
Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship is the world’s largest and most powerful rocket and is central to Musk’s long-term vision of building a long-term colony on Mars.
The latest setback follows the explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May.
The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean.
SpaceX has been betting that its “fail fast, learn fast” ethos, which has helped it dominate commercial spaceflight, will eventually pay off.
NASA is also increasingly reliant on SpaceX, whose Dragon spacecraft is vital for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
The Federal Aviation Administration approved an increase in annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25 in early May, stating that the increased frequency would not adversely affect the environment.
The decision overruled objections from conservation groups that had warned the expansion could endanger sea turtles and shorebirds.
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