SpaceX\u2019s new Starship first-stage booster, Booster 18, suffered major damage early Friday during its first round of testing in Starbase, Texas, just one day after rolling out of the factory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on videos of the incident, the lower section of the rocket booster appeared to crumple during a pressurization test. Photos of the incident\u2019s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SpaceX began structural and propellant-system verification tests on Booster 18 Thursday night at the Massey\u2019s Test Site, only a few miles from Starbase\u2019s production facilities, as noted in an Ars Technica<\/a><\/em> report. At 4:04 a.m. CT on Friday, a livestream<\/a> from LabPadre Space<\/a> captured the booster\u2019s lower half experiencing a sudden destructive event around its liquid oxygen tank section. Post-incident images, shared on X by @StarshipGazer<\/a>, showed notable deformation in the booster\u2019s lower structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n