Superheavy intended for next test flight damaged during static fire test
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According to video taken by the Labpadre live stream of SpaceX’s operations at Boca Chica, the Superheavy booster that the company was preparing for the next orbital test flight was damaged while it was being fueled for a static fire test.
The video, which I have embedded below, suggests a tank rupture occurred in the booster’s lower section, where its main oxygen tanks are located. Another post-incident image from different source on social media and to the right, shows the hull of that section badly deformed, with the far side not visible apparently blown out. It also appears the test stand experienced no or little damage.
This incident will likely delay the next orbital Starship/Superheavy test flight, but not significantly. SpaceX has more prototype Superheavys in the queue. While it might need to do some quick additional work preparing one, that should’t slow things down by much.
Figuring out what happened to cause this burst tank is more likely to cause a delay. The company needs to identify and fix the issue before it can proceed.
Booster 18 seems to have just exploded during testing at the Massey outpost. pic.twitter.com/fmVdYPmWvA
— LabPadre Space (@LabPadre) November 21, 2025
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for source.
According to video taken by the Labpadre live stream of SpaceX’s operations at Boca Chica, the Superheavy booster that the company was preparing for the next orbital test flight was damaged while it was being fueled for a static fire test.
The video, which I have embedded below, suggests a tank rupture occurred in the booster’s lower section, where its main oxygen tanks are located. Another post-incident image from different source on social media and to the right, shows the hull of that section badly deformed, with the far side not visible apparently blown out. It also appears the test stand experienced no or little damage.
This incident will likely delay the next orbital Starship/Superheavy test flight, but not significantly. SpaceX has more prototype Superheavys in the queue. While it might need to do some quick additional work preparing one, that should’t slow things down by much.
Figuring out what happened to cause this burst tank is more likely to cause a delay. The company needs to identify and fix the issue before it can proceed.
Booster 18 seems to have just exploded during testing at the Massey outpost. pic.twitter.com/fmVdYPmWvA
— LabPadre Space (@LabPadre) November 21, 2025
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
To put it mildly!
Super Heavy in version 3 hasn’t undergone quite as much revision as Starship, so this is somewhat of a surprise.
I think the general consensus is that Booster 18 is a write-off, though no doubt components of it could be salvaged. The good news is, no equipment or infrastructure at Massey’s seems to have damaged by this!
I was curious where things stood in the pipeline, and NSF has an update on that in its writeup this morning:
As for what this means for the program, SpaceX currently has zero completed flight boosters and will have to switch gears to Booster 19. Currently, Booster 19 hasn’t even started its stacking process in Mega Bay 1, and even if it were to start today, barring any investigation and modification time, the booster wouldn’t be ready for cryogenic proof testing until at least the end of January.
This is certainly not the start to the Block 3 era that SpaceX would’ve wanted, but it’s a good thing this happened during proof testing at Masseys and not during a 33-engine static fire attempt on Pad 2. As for what was to be its other half, Ship 39 is now stacked in Mega Bay 2 and will be outfitted after finishing stacking on Nov 15, 2025. It will be a bit before this vehicle can head out to Masseys for testing, as the Ship Cryo Thrust Stand is currently in use by S39.1.
Link: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/11/booster-18-anomaly-proof-testing/
P.S. The other consideration, as Ryan Weber’s NSF article notes, is that they need another booster to commission Pad 2 once its ready — to test all the new tank farm equipment. That has to be accomplished before they can even start the launch prep for Flight. Weber notes that they might be able to throw together part of a booster or modify a remaining V2 booster to do it in an ad hoc way, but without inside information that’s speculative. I’m sure Elon has asked that question in the post-incident team meeting today.
So, probably a 6-8 week delay here. Which sucks, but it’s not really that much in the grand scheme of things. Had it blown up stuff at Masseys again, that delay would be longer.
I’ve seen speculation regarding a COPV failure, which seems possible and has been a past problem. But you have to have a COPV pop that weakens the O2 tank and allows it to rupture. Seems questionable.
Also, the V3 SH has a MUCH larger internal methane downcomer with associated piping, but I have a hard time with the physics that provide an overpressure of that component without damaging the methane tank at the top, also.
But, we should not rule out a failure of the GSE equipment on the test stand, since that was completely rebuilt after the S36 failure, and this was it’s first use, as well. An overpressure due to a failed test or pressure-relief valve would be a possible root cause.
One thing’s for sure: SpaceX will be all over it, and back to testing very quickly.
Say what you will about SLS–it isn’t limber. Fully laden, it is supported by two huge solids.
The shuttle ET was even more impressive, having to support the dead weight of a fully laden orbiter off to the side. For in-line use, maybe they can get away with composites.
I dare Elon and his Bocans to even try to build something like that.
I am not *too* surprised at this. It isn’t Atlas balloon tank–but it isn’t R-7 either. It might be that Musk was trying to increase Starship’s payload by shaving a tad too much off.
Holding something by a top rim means no legs and less weight.