SpaceX: Elon Musk's Starship 36 rocket explodes into giant ball of flames in Texas - startling residents in Cameron County

The Starship 36 rocket was undergoing a static fire test at Elon Musk's Starbase test site at around 11pm when its nose suddenly bursts open. Footage then shows a giant ball of fire spreading on the ground as black clouds of smoke reached up to the night sky.

The static fire test is a pre-flight procedure in which a rocket engine or a set of engines are ignited while the vehicle is firmly bolted to the launch mount, meaning the rocket was not set to launch Wednesday night when the explosion occurred.

In a statement, SpaceX said the rocket suffered 'a major anomaly’ while on a test stand at Starbase. The company said: “A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.

“Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials”. It added that there “are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”

According to Valley Central, people in Cameron County in Texas were startled by the explosion, hearing a loud rumble that then shook windows and rattled dishes. The Cameron County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the loud rumble was an explosion from one of SpaceX’s static fire tests.