SpaceX 's ambitious Starship program suffered another major setback on Tuesday evening when its latest test flight ended in failure, the spacecraft spun out of control and broke apart.
The 403-foot rocket launched from Starbase, the company's test site in southern Texas, on its ninth demonstration flight. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had hoped the vehicle, designed for deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars, would complete key milestones during the test, including releasing mock satellites and testing its heat shield during reentry.
However, shortly after liftoff, complications began stacking up.
Mock satellite release fails as door gets stuck
One of the first major snags occurred when the spacecraft's payload door failed to open completely, preventing the release of eight mock Starlink satellites . That glitch was followed by a more serious issue, the spacecraft began to spin as it skimmed the edge of space, suggesting a loss of control and likely a fuel leak, according to SpaceX officials.
"Not looking great with a lot of our on-orbit objectives for today," said SpaceX commentator Dan Huot during the livestream.
Loss of control and communication before breakup
Moments later, the rocket's upper stage lost stability and began tumbling. SpaceX eventually lost communication with the vehicle, which was expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down in the Indian Ocean. Instead, the spacecraft experienced what the company euphemistically described as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," essentially, it broke apart.
Meanwhile, the lower booster, which had launched the upper stage into space, was also lost. It had been flying without plans for recovery and ultimately slammed into the Gulf of Mexico in fragments.
Earlier failures and FAA green light for this test
This test marked the first time SpaceX flew Starship with a recycled booster, one of many upgrades made since earlier failures. The last two test flights ended minutes after launch, with both vehicles falling into the ocean before clearing the Caribbean.
Ahead of Tuesday's flight, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light after expanding the launch hazard area and rescheduling liftoff to avoid interfering with commercial air traffic.
Despite the disappointment, SpaceX remains focused on future improvements. The company said it would analyse flight data to prepare for its next attempt. Among the features being tested in this flight were upgraded heat-shield tiles and new "catch fittings" that could one day allow Starship's upper stage to be recovered like the company's Falcon 9 boosters.
"Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test," SpaceX said in a post after ending the livestream.
The 403-foot rocket launched from Starbase, the company's test site in southern Texas, on its ninth demonstration flight. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had hoped the vehicle, designed for deep-space missions to the Moon and Mars, would complete key milestones during the test, including releasing mock satellites and testing its heat shield during reentry.
However, shortly after liftoff, complications began stacking up.
Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/aXAwLkRbuK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 27, 2025
Mock satellite release fails as door gets stuck
One of the first major snags occurred when the spacecraft's payload door failed to open completely, preventing the release of eight mock Starlink satellites . That glitch was followed by a more serious issue, the spacecraft began to spin as it skimmed the edge of space, suggesting a loss of control and likely a fuel leak, according to SpaceX officials.
"Not looking great with a lot of our on-orbit objectives for today," said SpaceX commentator Dan Huot during the livestream.
Starship’s Raptor engines ignite during hot-staging separation. Super Heavy is boosting back towards its splashdown site and preparing for its high angle of attack entry pic.twitter.com/aQBwsvSrl0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 27, 2025
Loss of control and communication before breakup
Moments later, the rocket's upper stage lost stability and began tumbling. SpaceX eventually lost communication with the vehicle, which was expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down in the Indian Ocean. Instead, the spacecraft experienced what the company euphemistically described as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," essentially, it broke apart.
Meanwhile, the lower booster, which had launched the upper stage into space, was also lost. It had been flying without plans for recovery and ultimately slammed into the Gulf of Mexico in fragments.
As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 28, 2025
With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s…
Earlier failures and FAA green light for this test
This test marked the first time SpaceX flew Starship with a recycled booster, one of many upgrades made since earlier failures. The last two test flights ended minutes after launch, with both vehicles falling into the ocean before clearing the Caribbean.
Ahead of Tuesday's flight, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light after expanding the launch hazard area and rescheduling liftoff to avoid interfering with commercial air traffic.
Despite the disappointment, SpaceX remains focused on future improvements. The company said it would analyse flight data to prepare for its next attempt. Among the features being tested in this flight were upgraded heat-shield tiles and new "catch fittings" that could one day allow Starship's upper stage to be recovered like the company's Falcon 9 boosters.
"Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test," SpaceX said in a post after ending the livestream.
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