---
title: "Elon Musk Says Explosion Was on Purpose, Then Deletes Tweet and Admits It Wasn’t"
description: "Not everything went according to plan during SpaceX's Booster 7 tests on Monday."
date: "2022-07-12"
modified: "2022-07-12"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-explosion-on-purpose-deletes-tweet"
categories:
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "elon musk"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "Starship"
  - "super heavy booster"
  - "the digest"
---

# Elon Musk Says Explosion Was on Purpose, Then Deletes Tweet and Admits It Wasn’t

![Not everything went according to plan during SpaceX's Booster 7 tests on Monday.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/elon-musk-explosion-on-purpose-deletes-tweet.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Yiw7_JTXY" target="\_blank"\>NASASpaceflight\</a\>\</em\>*

## How the Turntables

Not everything went according to plan while SpaceX was testing its Booster 7 rocket prototype on Monday.

The massive rocket, designed to take the company's first orbital launch-ready Starship into orbit, [went up in a massive fireball](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starship-booster-explosion>) at around 4:20pm local time at the company's testing facilities near Boca Chica, Texas.

"Holy moly," [tweeted](<https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1546605684070006784>) *NASASpaceFlight*'s Chris Bergin. "Well, that was unexpected!"

At first, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appeared to imply that the explosion was planned, but then quickly [deleted the tweet](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1546607458461880321>), clarifying that it was indeed an accident — an unusual admission for the otherwise boisterous and outspoken billionaire.

"Yeah, actually not good," he [wrote](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1546639772621365248>) in a tweet responding to Bergin two hours following the explosion. "Team is assessing damage."

## Fuel Fumes

So what was the culprit? According to Musk, the oxygen rich environment surrounding the launch pad may have facilitated an ignition.

"Cryogenic fuel is an added challenge, as it evaporates to create fuel-air explosion risk in a partially oxygen atmosphere like Earth," he explained in [a follow-up](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1546641991597006851?s=20&t=kDL2itsQv4PxMxhXBC1oOQ>).

"That said, we have a lot of sensors to detect this," he added. "More later."

Musk also said that the company will [set up sparks under the engine section](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1546713443943825408>) to ensure that all leaking sources of hydrogen burn off before they can cause a huge fireball.

## Inspecting the Damage

Hours later, Musk went in to inspect the damage.

"Base of the vehicle seems ok by flashlight," Musk [tweeted](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1546727913944502274?s=20&t=kDL2itsQv4PxMxhXBC1oOQ>). "I was just out there about an hour ago. We shut down the pad for the night for safety. Will know more in the morning."

It's an unfortunate setback for the company. We have yet to hear about a specific date for the company's inaugural orbital test flight.

As the incident goes to show, the stakes are higher than they've ever been. In other words, the next explosion could be right around the corner.

**More on the explosion:** *[SpaceX Starship Booster Prototype Suddenly Goes Up in Flames](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starship-booster-explosion>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)