Moment Space X rocket explodes on splashdown in dramatic ocean fireball
Elon Musk's twelfth flight test of Starship saw the rocket land in the sea before exploding into a fireball
SpaceX’s Starship V3 exploded in a dramatic fireball after splashing down in the Indian Ocean at the end of its first uncrewed test flight.
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The towering rocket blasted off on Friday evening, 22 May, from SpaceX’s Starbase site near Brownsville, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico.
Designed to support more frequent Starlink satellite launches and future NASA missions to the Moon, Starship V3 is central to SpaceX’s long-term ambitions in space travel.
The flight marked a major milestone after months of delays and was seen as another key test of whether Starship is nearing commercial readiness.
Writing on X after splashdown, Elon Musk said: "Congratulations SpaceX team on an epic first Starship V3 launch & landing! You scored a goal for humanity."
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Starship V3 takes flight for the first time → https://t.co/2gZQUxS6mm pic.twitter.com/Jv71tvm18w
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 23, 2026
SpaceX is seeking to prove that the vehicle, the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown, can move beyond years of explosive setbacks and development hold-ups.
The mission lasted around an hour and achieved most of its main objectives, although both stages of the rocket experienced engine failures during the flight.
Starship eventually splashed down in the Indian Ocean, where it exploded as planned in a dramatic end to the test.
The launch had been pushed back by a day after engineers detected a faulty hydraulic pin in the launch tower.
Musk was not the only one to congratulate the SpaceX team, as rapper Nicki Minaj took to X to send her best wishes.
She wrote: "You guys are pretty freaking amazing. Wow. Congratulations on the successful launch — and to many, MANY more."