SpaceX’s Starship Fails Mid-Flight in Ninth Test Mission

SpaceX’s ninth test flight of the Starship rocket ended in failure on Wednesday. The rocket lost control and broke apart about 30 minutes into its uncrewed mission, according to US media reports.

The launch took place at SpaceX’s test site in Boca Chica, Texas. Reuters reported the spacecraft suffered a fuel leak in orbit. This caused it to spin out of control before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, where it disintegrated.

SpaceX posted on social media, confirming the event as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” the company’s term for unexpected break-ups during flight.

“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn,” the post read. “Today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as we seek to make life multiplanetary.”

Before losing control, the 123-meter rocket reached a higher altitude than in previous tests. This marked some progress toward SpaceX’s goal of building a reusable vehicle to transport people and cargo to the Moon and Mars.

This was the ninth integrated flight of Starship and its Super Heavy booster. Out of the previous eight launches, four had already ended in destruction. The last failure occurred on March 6, when the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff.

SpaceX’s Strategy to Colonise Mars

SpaceX’s strategy, described as “fail fast, learn fast,” is part of Elon Musk’s broader vision to colonise Mars. However, repeated failures have raised safety concerns. Debris has been reported across southern US states and parts of the Caribbean.

On the day of the launch, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed it had diverted commercial flights and paused departures at four major Florida airports, including Miami, due to falling debris. The FAA had doubled the airspace closure zone to 1,600 nautical miles. It coordinated with aviation bodies in Mexico, Cuba, the UK, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.

Despite safety objections from conservation groups, the FAA increased SpaceX’s annual launch limit from 5 to 25. At the same time, ethics concerns surfaced. In March, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint over possible conflicts between the FAA and Musk’s Starlink company.

SpaceX is also partnered with NASA on its Artemis mission. If successful, Starship could become the most powerful rocket in history.