SpaceX suffers massive financial losses each time a starship explodes

On June 18, 2025, at 11 p.m., SpaceX engineers began what was expected to be a routine six-engine static fire test—a ground test for an upcoming launch—at Starbase’s Massey test site. However, Ship 36 suffered a catastrophic failure during propellant loading, which Elon Musk attributed to a nitrogen COPV failure occurring “below its proof pressure.” Ellen Gainsford reports.