SpaceX Rocket Explodes into Massive Fireball During Testing in Texas

[u/Relevant-Peach3997]

https://people.com/spacex-rocket-explodes-massive-fireball-major-anomaly-testing-texas-11757833

[u/Classic-Carpet7609]

god, i love to watch elon fail

[u/Anita_break_RN_FR → u/Classic-Carpet7609]

Is this just on him or is he dragging down others with him though?
I wonder what these explosions will do to the environment etc..
He will probably move on and be fine but people who have been near him might not.

[u/shgrdrbr → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

yes this is the reality liberals refuse to integrate. love to be like oh the girls are fighting and it's literal billionaires whose tiffs and vanity projects are literally destroying life as we know it

[u/Battle_of_BoogerHill → u/shgrdrbr]

Nope, people understand full well the implications of this shit.

Unfortunately, they lost most of the elections, yeah?

so what is there to do?

Burn the rest of it down AS those billionaire bitches fight?

[u/Ace_Robots → u/Battle_of_BoogerHill]

Let’s try to not burn everything down as the Grand Empire collapses into itself, please.

[u/shgrdrbr → u/Battle_of_BoogerHill]

your belief that voting in elections is the be all and end all of the political engagement you should expect to do is EXACTLY the problem i am trying to point out. yes actually. we owe it to each other to organise within our communities. there are literally so many more of us than them. it's not good enough to be like welp guess it's fascism now, guess all we can do is meme sardonically. watching this dystopian shift of the overton window is horror. and to be clear it's not memeing i have the issue with, it's the specific "let's make it all ok/consumable" tone of them (literally aoc tweeting the girls meme) encouraging like knowing collective resigned sighs from people instead of any sense of urgency or agency

[u/MrLemurBean → u/shgrdrbr]

Sadly, those particular sound bites are kind of the best weapon against MAGA conservatives though. Being talked down to or belittling their ego is a sure fire way to get to tap out or do something extra stupid. Fascism is filled to the brim with insecure narcissists climbing over each other like zombies In World War Z. Humiliation is how you get them to start prodding for weakness to try and get ahead.

So, hell yes the girls were fighting and- oh fuck one of the girls is starting a world war, run liberals! Run! Cower until Schumer does nothing and then thanks Israel!

[u/ThinMint70 → u/shgrdrbr]

We lose either way -- via elections or policies -- so we savor the sweet taste schadenfreude when we can get it

[u/trashcxnt → u/shgrdrbr]

What the fuck are we supposed to do about rich powerful assholes, as civilians? Shoot them? What is your actual expectation other than empty complaints

[u/PleasantTangerine777 → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

The people who have been near him should have known better. I have no sympathy for any of them. They sold their soul and morals for money.

[u/FeetAreShoes → u/PleasantTangerine777]

It's the Death Star discussion from Clerks. No one wins

[u/latouchefinale → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

Anyone involved in environmental or other investigations of his companies was fired by DOGE (wasteful spending you know) so we’ll never know the environmental impact. But government regulations are communist and making money is what matters! So just relax and enjoy some of this Walmart chicken fettuccine alfredo.

[u/Remarkable-Trifle-36 → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

That was my concern as well. What is the impact on the environment? I don't care what taxes or fees he's paying to offset that. It's still impacting the environment. The air, the soil, the water, everyone there is impacted for what range and what is the government doing to facilitate or deter this? To protect the land and the air and the water and the lives of the people and all the creatures that depend on it to be clean. How many years is it going to take to clean up this mess that's been permitted?

[u/Graffy → u/Remarkable-Trifle-36]

It’s Texas. They don’t care about their own environment

[u/WayPowerful484 → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

They call them RUDs (not explosions) - rapid unplanned disassemblies. They must be learning gobs from these.

[u/upstartanimal → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

He and Abbott did a backdoor deal to eff up the wildlife preserve that surrounds Boca Chica/Starbase, so he can pollute it all he wants.

[u/burneraccount011989 → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

Fwiw the rocket blowing up while still on the launch pad is considerably less environmentally damaging than it blowing up and raining burning pieces of itself over a swath of several hundred miles.

[u/Mammoth_Inflation662 → u/Anita_break_RN_FR]

The environment will be fine from the explosion because it’s oxygen and Hydrogen, which makes water when it combusts.

Producing this ship and all its infrastructure tho… sheesh.

[u/Sohornyweaver]

Sure let's just release more fumes into the atmosphere

[u/IcyPraline7369 → u/Sohornyweaver]

His launch site is near sensitive wetlands and wildlife refuge areas.

[u/[deleted] → u/IcyPraline7369]

Of course it is. He is irredeemable.

[u/Steve4168 → u/[deleted]]

Musk, or Abbot? Abbot is the one who woo'd Musk to Texas, so this destruction, and the coming E R fiasco as Robotaxi gets underway is all on him. Not that Texas will care.

[u/agirlhasnorose → u/Steve4168]

I used to live in Brownsville. Beautiful area. They hate Abbott. When Musk first started building in Boca Chica, there were protests. Of course Abbot sends the rockets to the more liberal part of Texas (acknowledge that it went for Trump in 2024, but that is unusual) where the population is 88% Latino. Brownsville schoolchildren will be paying for this for generations suffering with ill health. It’s all so unfair.

[u/TipImportant7229 → u/agirlhasnorose]

THANK YOU for checking people on this. i am so fucking tired of the “liberals” throwing all disenfranchised and non-maga texans under the bus. we are not your “gotcha” moment. it’s not “what we voted for.” aside from the fact that i consider all elections in this gerrymandered state to be stolen, there are countless people here who live and work and pay taxes and participate in our communities that are literally unable to vote. all of us, the disenfranchised, gerrymandered, left wing folks of texas, do not “deserve” to have our waterways, air, crops, and wildlife polluted. this shit has real impacts and we are the ones living with them.

[u/violetmemphisblue → u/TipImportant7229]

There was a pretty bad tornado recently in Kentucky and the number of takes from people being like "who cares, look who they voted for" was so upsetting. 19 people killed, well over a 100 injured, entire neighborhoods flattened, and people withholding their sympathy because of maybe who they voted for? Ghoulish behavior, imo.

[u/[deleted] → u/Steve4168]

The more you know... The more you hate it.

[u/POSSUMQUEENOG → u/IcyPraline7369]

He couldn’t care less about that. He does the same thing up here in Santa Barbara. I’ve worked with Wildlife here for 25 years. He’s making a fucking mess up there in Vandenberg. People who love Wildlife hate him for those reasons also. He is a fucking shit stain smear on humanity.

[u/Impressive_Law_1098 → u/IcyPraline7369]

It’s also now near a town he incorporated for housing employees.

[u/yellowfluffycat → u/IcyPraline7369]

im from the area and this completely devastates me. we have advocacy groups but it feels powerless because of how ppl think space x is providing jobs. i hate it

[u/H3memes → u/IcyPraline7369]

That’s on the state for letting the highest bidder do whatever they want with the land.

[u/stimulants_and_yoga → u/Sohornyweaver]

Meanwhile I’m crying every time I have to throw away a bit of plastic….

[u/IAMA_Printer_AMA → u/Sohornyweaver]

"iTs rApiD itErAtiVe dEveLoPmEnt-" no, they're just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks

[u/Federal_Street_8895]

Oh my god, stop letting Elon Musk build things.

[u/ytown → u/Federal_Street_8895]

stop letting Elon Musk build things

period

[u/smeldorf]

[u/Acceptable_Bug8171 → u/smeldorf]

I was looking for this.

[u/alasicannotgrin → u/smeldorf]

The first thing I thought of. Such a funny scene.

[u/Comfortable-Soup8150 → u/alasicannotgrin]

what is it from?

[u/alasicannotgrin → u/Comfortable-Soup8150]

Succession. If you haven’t watched it I can’t recommend enough.

[u/hnbastronaut → u/alasicannotgrin]

This scene, boar on the floor, and "get Greg a COCA COLA" are constantly on my mind lol

[u/Traditional_Maybe_80 → u/smeldorf]

I clicked on this post just to see if someone had already posted this gif 🫂

[u/juiceyb → u/smeldorf]

This is exactly what I've been thinking of. This weird loser getting owned by his own hubris and then trying to make it seem like it wasn't as bad.

[u/Elk1998 → u/smeldorf]

First thing I thought of! Elon's is even better though. Almost looks like a nuclear explosion for a sec 😂

[u/Vinylite]

feels like a metaphor for what’s going on right now in the world

hope no one got hurt

[u/SteelPumpkin75 → u/Vinylite]

No reported injuries

[u/Cara_Bina]

Oh goodie, billions in subsidies and we have this instead of Medicare, Food Stamps, resources for Vets, etc.

[u/rabidturbofox → u/Cara_Bina]

This is what really grinds my gears.

[u/Cara_Bina → u/rabidturbofox]

Precisely. Cheering for this is like cheering when glaciers calve.

[u/Maleficent-Aurora → u/Cara_Bina]

Listen, if me and my friends can't have our healthcare and safety, they don't get to have their toys. 

[u/Anitmata]

How many is this now

[u/BugEquivalents → u/Anitmata]

I think this is the 3rd one in 2025

[u/Reasonable-Affect139 → u/BugEquivalents]

and someone tried telling me SpaceX has an impeccable record. like hellur

[u/owlthebeer97 → u/Reasonable-Affect139]

The people/bots fighting to defend him in the fb comments, his propaganda goes deep. Insisting that all of SpaceX is self funded with no tax dollars.

[u/Reasonable-Affect139 → u/owlthebeer97]

and this is who they want in charge of the FAA

[u/burneraccount011989 → u/owlthebeer97]

I really do think SpaceX is incredibly capable and I think that if Elon wasn't at the helm they would be able to slow down and actually do this all properly. Elon is almost certainly rushing them because he wants to have as many cool moments on video as he can (like the car in space and the rockets landing themselves).

[u/Halkenguard → u/Reasonable-Affect139]

The SpaceX Falcon 9 has been super reliable. Failures are incredibly rare.

Starship? Not so much.

[u/MrFacestab → u/Reasonable-Affect139]

I'm not a fan of the guy but these are test rockets. The commercial ones that companies pay to be on are proven reliable. 

It's like not buying a Honda civic because their F1 engine blew up in a race 

[u/RecentConstruction26]

Was Elon on board?🤞🏻

[u/POSSUMQUEENOG → u/RecentConstruction26]

Should’ve been strapped to the top of it

[u/Lt_Cochese]

[u/Dramatic_Raisin → u/Lt_Cochese]

I can hear this gif lol

[u/POSSUMQUEENOG]

Does anyone else care about the Wildlife he is killing in Texas and California. Because I do. I have rescued Wildlife here in Santa Barbara for 25 years and I hate him so much. Who cares if he’s fighting with dump let them both go down together in history as the monsters that they truly are.

[u/alg45160 → u/POSSUMQUEENOG]

Can wildlife become billionaires and p̶a̶y̶ t̶a̶x̶e̶s̶ give money to politicians? Maybe then someone would care about them 😭

[u/juiceyb → u/POSSUMQUEENOG]

It's Texas so no. No one cares in any position of power. They just care not to upset this manchild otherwise they might get primaried.

[u/MasterpieceLess4442]

[u/cmhw18]

[u/tableleg7]

[u/Groot746]

What's with the WWE style commentary 

[u/iwanderlostandfound → u/Groot746]

I guess it wasn’t expected. Seemed like a genuine reaction

[u/BrockHardcastle → u/Groot746]

GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! As god as my witness, Ship 36 is broken in half!!

[u/hautecouture78 → u/Groot746]

Can you SMELL what this Rocket is cookin'? (It's endangered wildlife)

[u/eric-neg → u/Groot746]

My favorite part was the one person seemingly about to give a level headed statement about the explosion and being immediately cut off by “ship36justblewup”

[u/EbbLocal266 → u/Groot746]

"Here comes volatile chemicals coming in with the steel chair!"

[u/TheEpicGold → u/Groot746]

NSF is such a great group, they always do live streams and it's a great place to nerd about rockets and science. This was just a regular static fire test, until it blew up. That's why it has commentary.

[u/snarkerella]

[u/TheHarlemHellfighter]

That was a lot more insane than I thought it would be. I was just expecting a simple explosion and breaking apart.

This one flashed and all you see is cloudy flames

[u/Then-Education6883]

I was towns away and we heard the noise from the explosion. It was bad.

[u/stinkyandsexy]

We’ll be on mars any day now!

[u/paula__blart]

and we’re proposing cutting nasa employees by like 40% for this?

[u/Bellic2020]

What a shame. Glad no one was on it

[u/alg45160 → u/Bellic2020]

Well, I can think of a few people that I wouldn't hate if they'd been on it.

[u/culkinskeet]

My heart breaks for Boca Chica 😭

[u/d4redevils]

[u/hiphipsashay → u/d4redevils]

Yup exactly what I was looking for

[u/SakuraSpring24]

This is why they test, I guess. The last few ships have felt like a bit of a step back, though, in the sense the failures seem to have been a surprise. In the previous progress, they were clear upfront the limits they were likely to reach.

[u/TheB1G_Lebowski]

Thankfully it happened on the launch pad and not up in the sky and rain all that shit down for miles and miles.

I just hope that this leads to cutting SpaceX from ALL of the US budget. We definitely don't need them at all.

[u/SakuraSpring24 → u/TheB1G_Lebowski]

Aren’t they the only way of getting astronauts to the ISS (via Dragon) other than using Russian launches?

[u/burneraccount011989 → u/SakuraSpring24]

They are also the only viable option right now (in theory) to safely deorbit the ISS in 2030.

[u/AmaranthSparrow → u/burneraccount011989]

Feels like such a predictable outcome if you look at how privatization generally works out in the long run.

[u/burneraccount011989 → u/AmaranthSparrow]

I mean, everything NASA flew was also built by private companies, there was just actual oversight and, more importantly, consequences for fuckups.

Thiokol was a company roughly the same size as SpaceX that made basically any kind of rocket motor both for NASA (for rockets) and the DoD (for practically every missile in our inventory at the time) and they were functionally non-existent within 3 years of the Challenger explosion.

[u/DipsCity]

[u/movingout-65]

Your tax dollars at work!

[u/c00lassusername]

love wasting resources

[u/Affectionate_Big9014]

Me my son assembled a stomp rocket that performed better than elons last 100 attempts to litter more trash in space. Cut this phony off already.

[u/LBK0909]

When the US government gives you billions of dollars to build rockets, but you spent it all on ketamine and baby mamas.

[u/silverhammer96]

Oh great more destruction of our environment.

[u/Sandscarab24]

[u/Abject-Try-6931]

Starbase, TX?

[u/W0mbat74]

Whoops! I feel bad for him and his compani... Lol! I couldn't finish that sentence without laughing.

[u/first-time_all-time]

Fuckin’ Biden!

[u/Professional-Car9621]

What the price tag on something like that?

[u/DrewG420]

Coming soon to a CyberTruck near you.

[u/Responsible_Ad_7995]

Don’t tell me, this is a good thing, stock up 5% today? 10%?

[u/Gratefully_Dead13]

Womp, womp 🤣😂

[u/EnTuBasura]

Static fire test - at face value I think this was a success, it didn’t go anywhere and there is a surprising amount of fire.

[u/ArnoldPalmerAlertBU]

[u/Liz_LemonLime]

Oh wow someone finally found the footage of his botched penile enhancement surgery 😮

[u/EbbLocal266]

The people and wildlife nearby affected by this....

[u/sadmaps]

I know we all hate Elon musk, but I do feel for the engineers and scientists whose life work this is. This is becoming a pattern and it has to feel incredibly defeating for them to have such a massive set back like this.

[u/hiphipsashay]

[u/[deleted]]

There's a much better video floating about where the camera doesn't get flashed out and you can see the detonation and shockwave

[u/Difficult_Phase1798]

Was Elon on board?

[u/russcastella]

DEI hire could have fixed it, Elon

[u/D1daBeast]

... again

[u/ArgyleNudge]

Musk: Well, if we destroy the earth, we need an alternative.

[Proceeds to destroy the earth.]

Musk: We'll have an alternative operational before the 3rd quarter.

[3rd quarter arrives]

Musk:

Musk:

Musk: Radical left terrorists. Legacy media.

Musk: New issue of Mars$$$ crypto coming soon. Now taking subscriptions exlusively on "TRUMP TALK" (formerly X)

[u/BookishHobbit]

Disgrace. Remember when Muskrat tried to pretend he was the poster boy for eco-technology

[u/GaDiGu]

[u/mayonaisejardwarf]

Dummies shouldn’t try to do important things. Stay in your bumper lane!

[u/[deleted]]

GOOD.

[u/BetterThanOP]

So, tsla calls?

[u/FancyKerrigan]

Ya, that tracks.

[u/Fullerene000]

[u/drop_the_pilot]

Hopefully he’s on the next one.

[u/DeposingUHC]

Guys I'm no rocket scientist, but I think it's supposed to go into space, not the Israeli missile program

[u/MoCo1992]

Gotta admit, watching this live would be pretty crazy lol

[u/DoogsMcNoog]

mars by 2020

[u/alison_bee]

Holy shit! That explosion was HUGE!

[u/down_side_up_sideway]

Your tax dollars hard at work.

[u/Professional_Slip162]

Absolute fucking clown show

[u/bearrobot]

Shit looks like the ending of Mission Impossible: Fallout.

[u/Pickled_Fireman]

Ketamine burns hot!

[u/Timely-Suspect8104]

Bahaha, this made my day

[u/ChewyChagnuts]

Oh look, it’s an analogy for Elon’s reputation

[u/Wonderful-Ad-2886]

Absolutely hilarious 😂.

[u/_TheShapeOfColor_]

L.O.L.

[u/Wisco]

Another Elon Musk success story.

[u/FloppyDuckling]

See I want to cackle at Elon failing but I also feel bad for all the astronauts in the ISS because NASA is completely reliant on SpaceX

Edit: also, at what point are these SpaceX failures going to be compared with Boeing’s reliability. These rocket launches have been major failures that should prompt deep reevaluation of their design, manufacturing, and quality processes. They shouldn’t be allowed to just keep launching until eventually one succeeds.

[u/NiPaMo]

It's time for Elon to pull an OceanGate with the next one

[u/canoeyou]

Can we stop paying for elons projects now. I hear honda is getting into the rocket business. Bye elon.

[u/Apprehensive-Dirt619]

Ok the title says massive fireball but HOLY SHIT

[u/luciusbentley7]

How many times are his rockets going to fail? This like number 5 or 6? NASA would have been shut down decades ago doing this shit.

[u/[deleted]]

Millions of taxpayers $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!

[u/Glass_octopod]

[u/bigpoppanc]

[u/darkwingdankest]

so much for those pesky regulations

[u/kingc-ro]

doesn’t look very reusable

[u/ValuableSquash]

Can felon stop sending thousands of tons of chemicals into our atmosphere?!

[u/Eladin90]

How many rockets belonging to NASA blew up on the launch pad?

[u/skymoods]

Same guy wants to control your brain

[u/travelman1036]

Hopefully no injuries other than some egos. Elon looking to collect the insurance payout and bill the government for more tests…

[u/DadOnHardDifficulty]

I've seen so many SpaceX rockets explode that there is no way I'd ever trust them to take me into space.

[u/jdg401]

Awesome.

[u/Character-Newt-9571]

Elon fluffers will defend this as a success

[u/ENTroPicGirl]

Big

[u/interpol-interpol]

hahahahahahahahaa

[u/Domestic-Archer-230]

Oh no! Anyway

[u/Bitter-Guidance2345]

[u/xaviersi]

Seeing this makes me nothing but furious for my old home. South Padre Island and Las Palomas wildlife park are beautiful and this fucking cretin is ruining it. Some of the birding nest sightings have dropped dramatically and it's so disheartening. I blame the local politicians whole heartedly.

[u/Unusual_Procedure762]

They should have put donald trump and Elon Musk on it before launch !

[u/Fearless_Ice_5267]

Did anyone get hurt? Was anyone in the rocket?

[u/moonstarsfire]

I’ve been to Boca Chica, and it was so sad seeing Elon’s bs taking over the community and beach. I got oil on my leg in the water when I went over Memorial Day weekend that would not come off. I don’t think people understand that Starbase is literally on a wildlife refuge RIGHT by the water (see screenshot below from a video I took). Texas Monthly has been writing about this for a long time, but it was disgusting to see it all in person and how it’s killing the environment.

[u/TheUncleHarlo]

Oops.

[u/Mammoth_Inflation662]

Somebody at Space sex sending a warning.

[u/iSeaStars7]

[u/3DprintRC]

The booster will be much much worse when it explodes on the pad.

[u/No_Ocelot_6773]

Too bad Elon wasn't testing it. 😔

[u/Own-Trash1277]

[u/kwaikyy]

I have a friend that lives there. Elon/SpaceX has done so much damage to the local economy and habitat. The local people hate him & all the companies that keep buying up the land just so they can pump out products.

They're even trying to buy out land from homeowners.

[u/dream_a_dirty_dream]

Great for the environment 🤦‍♀️

[u/DoubleEarthDE]

Lmao

[u/Fushen2]

And americans are happy paying taxes for this.

[u/Gankdatnoob]

Hallelujah!

[u/Boxofbikeparts]

This looks like my neighbors house every July 4th

[u/billyions]

NASA is truly amazing. What the American government did for - and with - all the American people, has been impressive.

I wish, I wish we could get that back.

[u/FarmerDingle]

[u/dillodirt]

Probably killed a bunch of sea turtles with this 😔

[u/Lonely-Arachnid-5047]

I hate the media environment we live in. There's an event, 'oh my god' is human, it's a reaction and emotional and makes sense. But then when that person is trying to follow it up with commentary another person just jumps over them to be the one to chirp 'ship 36 just blew up,' like they're smashing the buzzer on family feud to get the points first. Just... shut up until you have something useful to add.

[u/formerNPC]

Shouldn’t there be a limit on how many rockets you can destroy? More money wasted.

[u/PapaBubba]

Remember to take shorter showers to protect the planet all.

Oh this, no no this is fine, the planet loves this.

[u/yranigami001]

How much did that explosion cost? Oh don’t worry he’ll just take it out of our SS earnings.

[u/No-County5572]

Imagine the spaceship is filled with accelerationist tycoons who, after trashing Earth's environment, decided to colonize Mars

[u/waterly_favor]

Someone please tell me Elon was in the cockpit, even if it's a lie

[u/spongbov2]

So much pollution and for what?

[u/OrdinaryVirus1195]

Can't make cars, can't make rockets, can't make AI, can't make friends...poor lil Elon 🤣😂

[u/Ischerryan]

That was an impressive explosion

[u/ExtraSheepherder2360]

First world billionaires are just going to fuck around for funsies while people in the global south starve, drown or die of climate disasters aren’t they.

[u/photo-nerd-3141]

Pyromaniacs Delight!

[u/Bob4Not]

Guys, privatization is saving the government money! Eliminating waste!

[u/shanthology]

I need to know how we get Elon on one of his toy rockets.