SpaceX launched its massive 403-foot Starship rocket once again on Tuesday evening, marking the vehicle’s ninth demonstration flight. Lifting off from the Starbase facility in South Texas, this latest attempt followed two previous launches that ended in explosions. While the spacecraft made significant progress this time around, it ultimately lost control during its return to Earth.
This test flight was notable for being the first to use a previously flown Super Heavy booster, which successfully separated and attempted a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the booster failed its landing and communication with it was lost following the engine burn intended to slow its descent.
The upper section of the rocket, referred to as Starship or “the ship,” was designed to release eight dummy satellites en route to a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, a partially jammed hatch prevented the satellites from deploying. Later, Starship suffered a fuel tank leak that caused it to veer off course and lose contact, likely breaking apart during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Despite these setbacks, SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk celebrated key milestones. Musk confirmed that Starship made it to its planned engine cutoff point — a first in its test history — calling it a “big improvement” compared to earlier attempts, which ended abruptly just minutes after takeoff.
According to a SpaceX live stream, the mission was declared over after ground control officially lost contact with the vehicle. Previous tests had ended well before reaching this stage, often crashing shortly after launch and scattering debris into the ocean.
Though Starship didn’t complete all its objectives, SpaceX remains optimistic, continuing to gather flight data and prepare for future launches.
