SpaceX Starship spins out after liftoff, falls short of test flight goals

SpaceX's Starship test flight ends with uncontrolled re-entry

After two explosive failures earlier this year, SpaceX made progress Tuesday with its latest Starship test flight — even as the mission failed to complete a satellite deployment demonstration. The 403-foot rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, lifted off from Starbase in South Texas. The company hoped the upper stage would travel halfway around the world before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. That goal was partially met, but a door designed to release eight mock Starlink satellites failed to open properly, preventing their deployment.

ORLANDO, Fla. - SpaceX launched Starship Tuesday evening, reaching space but failing key mission goals before breaking apart.

What we know:

SpaceX launched its 403-foot Starship rocket Tuesday evening from its Starbase site in southern Texas in the ninth test of the massive vehicle.

SpaceX launches another Starship rocket

SpaceX launched its 403-foot Starship rocket Tuesday evening from its Starbase site in southern Texas in the ninth test of the massive vehicle.

While liftoff was successful and the rocket briefly reached space, the mission failed to meet key objectives. A jammed payload door prevented the release of mock satellites, the booster broke apart over the Gulf of Mexico, and the spacecraft lost control before disintegrating during the descent into the Indian Ocean. The company confirmed the vehicle experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly."

The mission marked the first re-flight of a Super Heavy booster, which previously launched and returned during Starship’s seventh test flight. It also comes after engineers made multiple hardware upgrades following the loss of Starship during its eighth test earlier this year.

Next steps for Starship after 8th test flight explodes

Ken Kremer, Managing Editor for Space UpClose, joined FOX 35's Garrett Wymer to discuss the next steps for Starship and SpaceX after the eighth flight test exploded. The Starship mission aims to bring astronauts back to the moon.

What we don't know:

The precise cause of the spacecraft's fuel leak and subsequent failure during descent has not been disclosed. SpaceX has yet to release a full technical analysis or outline specific changes planned for the next launch. It is also unclear how much these repeated failures could delay NASA’s plans to use Starship for its Artemis lunar missions.

Timeline:

The launch occurred on Tuesday evening, following FAA clearance issued last week. SpaceX aims to conduct the next three Starship launches at a faster cadence — roughly one every three to four weeks — according to CEO Elon Musk. NASA’s uncrewed lunar flyby with Starship is scheduled for 2026, with the first crewed moon landing targeted for no earlier than 2027.

The backstory:

This marks the third consecutive Starship test that ended in destruction. Earlier tests this year failed minutes after liftoff and scattered debris across the ocean. Despite repeated mishaps, SpaceX is rapidly iterating its designs. This test was notable as the first to use a recycled booster and aimed to push both hardware and flight conditions to their limits.

Dig deeper:

In this flight, both stages of the vehicle — the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage — were expected to conduct a series of flight experiments to improve system performance and data collection. Notably, the booster was to have attempted a controlled flip, a boostback burn, a descent at a higher angle of attack, and a new engine configuration for the final landing burn, which was expected to conclude with a hard splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Starship upper stage was to repeat a suborbital trajectory, deploy eight Starlink simulator payloads, and conduct a planned in-space engine relight. Engineers also removed a number of heat shield tiles from Starship to expose stress-prone areas and evaluate new metallic tile options — including one with active cooling — during atmospheric reentry.

What they're saying:

Despite the outcome, Elon Musk remained optimistic: "Big improvement," he posted on X, comparing the mission to prior attempts.

"Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test," SpaceX said in a statement following the mission.

Big picture view:

NASA is relying on Starship to play a central role in its Artemis moon missions. While Tuesday’s test did not reach its goals, each launch feeds into the broader mission of developing a reusable, high-capacity rocket system for moon and Mars travel. With major upgrades still in testing, SpaceX faces a tight timeline to meet NASA’s needs for upcoming astronaut missions.

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