A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded into a huge fireball while preparing for a routine test on Wednesday.

The rocket, designed to be the most powerful in the world, was preparing for its tenth test flight at the SpaceX Starbase facility at the southern tip of Texas.

Starship exploded during 'routine static fire' test

Local officials confirmed the explosion took place at a time when the rocket was preparing for a "routine static fire test" of its engines.

That means engineers were set to test the rocket's engines with the craft still held down on its launch pad. But something went wrong and the rocket exploded.

SpaceX described the incident as a "major anomaly," writing in a statement on X that: "A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for."

CEO Elon Musk said there were no hazards to nearby communities and asked people not to approach the site.

SpaceX has been developing Starship spacecraft with the hope of sending crewed missions to Mars by the end of the decade among other ambitious plans.

Edited by: Kieran Burke