An embarrassing malfunction for SpaceX, the U.S. revives its "Star Wars" defense ambitions, and China refuels satellites in orbit. This Week in Space
The Starship spacecraft designated for SpaceX’s upcoming test flight exploded on June 19th and went up in flames during fueling operations ahead of a static fire test. SpaceX confirmed that no one was injured, there is no danger to nearby residents, and teams were working with authorities to ensure safety at the facility and in the surrounding area.
The explosion occurred at the Massey site, near SpaceX’s launch base in South Texas. The spacecraft, designated Ship 36, was being fueled in preparation for a static fire test—an on-ground engine firing used to assess engine performance. Like the Starship launch vehicle, its engines run on liquid methane and liquid oxygen, both highly flammable propellants. During fueling, the spacecraft suddenly exploded in a massive fireball.
"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. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," the company tweeted shortly after the incident.
The tenth Starship test flight had been tentatively scheduled for the end of June. While SpaceX has not officially confirmed a date, flight advisories from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggested the company was targeting June 29. The static fire test was a routine step in the pre-launch process. Earlier that week, Ship 36 successfully completed a single-engine static fire test; the test that ended in the explosion was intended to fire all six engines simultaneously. The Super Heavy booster designated for the upcoming mission completed a similar full-engine test earlier this month.
This ground explosion adds to a series of setbacks for the newly upgraded and enlarged Starship model, following issues in the last three test flights. During the seventh test flight in January, the spacecraft exploded just minutes after separating from its booster—a failure that was repeated in the eighth test in March. The ninth flight, conducted in late May saw Starship travel farther than before, but SpaceX lost control of the vehicle, resulting in a spinout in space and its destruction upon atmospheric re-entry.
Another failure in the sequence—this time on the ground. Starship explodes during fueling at the Texas spaceport -
America’s “Golden Dome”
U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed a senior Space Force general to lead the "Golden Dome" project, aimed at protecting the United States from missiles and other threats. The Department of Defense announced that the nomination of General Michael Guetlein has been submitted for approval by the Senate committee responsible for overseeing national defense.
The "Golden Dome" project, named after Israel’s "Iron Dome," is expected to rely heavily on space-based assets—chiefly advanced sensing systems capable of detecting threats in real time, and eventually, space-based interception capabilities. Rather than a standalone system, the initiative aims to integrate ground, air, sea, space, and intelligence capabilities into a comprehensive, multi-layered defense network.
Guetlein, 57, is a four-star general with a long career in the U.S. Air Force, where he primarily oversaw missile systems, remote sensing, and space operations. He transferred to the U.S. Space Force in 2019 and currently serves as Deputy Chief of Space Operations—effectively the second in command of the service.
President Trump began advancing the development of the defense system at the start of his current term in January. He formally announced the initiative last month, drawing comparisons to President Ronald Reagan’s 1980s “Star Wars” program, which ultimately never materialized. Trump projected the program would cost $175 billion and become operational within three years. However, congressional sources estimate the actual cost could be up to five times higher, with a significantly longer timeline.
Beyond budget and scheduling concerns, lawmakers from both parties have criticized the emerging plan, citing a lack of briefings to relevant committees and questioning whether Congress will approve funding for a program with few disclosed details. Meanwhile, experts warn that deploying such a system could provoke countries like China and Russia to accelerate their own space defenses, potentially triggering a space arms race.
Extensive experience commanding systems in the fields of space, missiles, and remote sensing. General Michael Guetlein appearing at a Senate committee, March 2025 | Photo: U.S. Air Force
Chinese Satellite Refueling in Space
Did China successfully conduct its planned in-orbit satellite refueling experiment? According to a report from a U.S.-based tracking company, the answer may be yes.
Earlier this year, China launched the Shijian-25 satellite, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), a division of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The satellite was placed in geostationary orbit—approximately 36,000 kilometers above Earth - where it remains fixed over a single point on the planet, the preferred position for large communications satellites. At the time of launch, analysts speculated that Shijian-25 was designed to dock with another satellite and refuel it, enabling orbital corrections that could extend the satellite’s operational life, boost revenue, and lower overall costs.
Shijian-25 is a follow-up to Shijian-21, launched four years earlier, which successfully rendezvoused with an aging communications satellite in geostationary orbit and towed it into a higher “graveyard” orbit. This maneuver prevented the defunct satellite from posing a threat to active spacecraft and from contributing to space debris. According to the U.S.-based tracking company S2A, the two satellites have come into close proximity in recent days.
S2A’s tracking images from June 14th show the two satellites so close together that they appear as a single point, suggesting a deliberate proximity maneuver—possibly even a docking and undocking sequence.
In recent years, the United States has also carried out satellite rendezvous and docking tests in geostationary orbit, primarily using commercial satellites. Meanwhile, Astroscale—a company with a development center in Israel that specializes in satellite life-extension technologies - has secured a contract by the Japanese government to demonstrate satellite removal. However, that mission has yet to launch.
Both space debris removal and satellite refueling face similar technical challenges—chief among them, docking with satellites not originally designed for in-orbit servicing maneuvers. China’s advances in these areas underscore its growing space capabilities and its openly stated ambitions for space dominance. These capabilities also carry potential security implications, as the same docking and maneuvering capabilities could be used to disrupt, disable, or even "hijack" military satellites.
The two satellites, just kilometers apart. Image from S2A tracking footage.