--- title: "Breaking: SpaceX’s Starship Prototype Blows Up in Huge Fireball" description: "During its fifth static fire, SpaceX's fourth Starship prototype called SN4 just erupted in a gigantic fireball, obliterating the launch pad with it." date: "2020-05-29" modified: "2020-05-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starship-prototype-blows-up-fireball" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Breaking: SpaceX’s Starship Prototype Blows Up in Huge Fireball ![]() *\Image: NASASpaceFlight\* ## Fireball Fury To realize its ambitious plans for [sending up to 100 passengers]() to the Moon and Mars inside a massive Starship spacecraft, SpaceX is racing through prototypes. During its fifth static fire today, the fourth Starship prototype, called SN4, erupted in a gigantic fireball around 2:50 pm Eastern time on Friday. Thanks to a live stream, courtesy of *NASASpaceflight*, you can watch the structure erupt into flames at SpaceX's Boca Chica testing facility. https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1266442087848960000 The fact that the early prototype even withstood five static fires is impressive, and signifies a huge leap forward in SpaceX's race to get Starship off the ground. ## You Get Knocked Down It's the latest in a series of fireballs. SN1 [failed]() a cryogenic proof test in February and was destroyed, crumpling up like a soda can. While SN2 fixed SN1's failure, SN3 was also [destroyed]() due to a test configuration error. At first, SN4 appeared to pass its fifth static fire test, but minutes later, a thick cloud of gas could be seen leaking out of the structure. Not a minute later, the prototype rocket — and launch pad — was obliterated, leaving only wreckage. The exact cause is still unknown. ## But You Get Up Again Losing SN4 is a setback for the Elon Musk-led space company, but not an insurmountable one. "SpaceX got a lot further with SN4 than previous vehicles, and SN5 seems about [ready to go for testing]()," senior space editor at Ars Technica Eric Berger wrote in [a tweet](). "They also have begun working on a second launch stand in Boca Chica." "So this is a setback, and a dramatic one," Berger added. "But it's a process." **More on Starship:** *[SpaceX Wins Large NASA Contract for Starship Moon Missions]()* ## 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]()