The giant explosion that destroyed a SpaceX Starship vehicle on the test stand this week was likely caused by the failure of a pressurized nitrogen tank, the company said.

A SpaceX Starship exploded at the company's Starbase launch site in Texas Wednesday night, bursting into a massive fireball. Video shows the explosion, which SpaceX said occurred as the Starship was preparing for an engine test firing.

The huge blast enveloped the craft as it stood upright at Starbase, before massive plumes of flames and smoke mushroomed into the night sky, video footage of the incident late Wednesday showed.