Brenna Cooper Brenna Cooper is a journalist at LADbible. She graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, followed by an NCTJ accredited masters in Journalism. She began her career as a freelance writer for Digital Spy, where she wrote about all things TV, film and showbiz. Her favourite topics to cover are music, travel and any bizarre pop culture. @_brencoco Advert It's another set back for Elon Musk's dream to colonise Mars as a SpaceX starship explodes into a giant fireball. Last night (18 June), scientists at the SpaceX base in Texas were conducting a static fire test when it erupted into flames. A static fire test involves a spacecraft being partially fuelled and ignited while bolted to the ground, meaning the Starship 36 rocket was not scheduled to lift off that night. It's not known what caused the incident, however, it is believed to have occurred moments before the test started, with the shocking moment the rocket erupted into a frightening ball of flames being caught on camera. Advert Confirming the incident in a statement posted to X, a spokesperson for the company said that all personnel were 'safe and accounted for', adding that locals were advised not to approach the site. "On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," the read. Viewers watching the stream would've seen their screens flash white as the ship exploded (NASA Space Flight) "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." The statement continued: "There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while saving operations continue." Advert