Watch| SpaceX Starship Explodes in Static Fire Test Setback for Elon Musk's Ambitious Program

SpaceX faced another setback in its ambitious space mission after its Starship rocket spectacularly exploded in a fiery blaze of flames during a static fire test in Texas on Wednesday.

Video of the explosion quickly spread across social media, showing the moment that a huge fireball burst from the vehicle's base triggered by what was meant to be a routine engine test.

Local authorities confirmed that the blast had taken place, further stating that fortunately, there were no reports of injuries. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the explosion.

The accident occurred while engineers were carrying out routine inspections of the engines of the rocket when it was still on the launch pad. The video that went viral captures a powerful flash followed by heavy smoke over the launch pad site.

A Series of Challenges

This accident continues a lengthening line of problems for the Starship program. In a recent test flight — the ninth overall for the integrated launch system — the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft were both destroyed, marking the third consecutive failure for Elon Musk's high-risk venture.

Intended to carry cargo and humans to Mars, Earth orbit, and the Moon, the nearly 400-foot-tall Starship is a keystone of Musk's more extensive vision for interplanetary exploration. But delays have persisted.

The Super Heavy rocket booster exploded in the early moments after liftoff, while the Starship upper stage suffered a catastrophic fuel leak during flight, the livestream from SpaceX relayed. The spacecraft lost control and disintegrated later during its descent into Earth's atmosphere.

In spite of the sequence of setbacks, SpaceX continues to stay on track. The firm has reaffirmed that every test flight, whether unsuccessful or not, is rich in data that helps it improve and make the next version of the spacecraft more robust.