On May 27, 2025, SpaceX launched its ninth Starship test flight from Starbase, Texas, at 6:36 p.m. CDT (2336 UTC), pushing the boundaries of reusable rocket technology but ending in a dramatic explosion during reentry, marking the third consecutive test flight failure. The mission, dubbed Integrated Flight Test 9 (IFT-9), featured Ship 35—a Block 2 Starship with six Raptor engines (three standard, three vacuum-optimized)—paired with Super Heavy Booster 14-2, the first reused booster, previously flown on Flight 7. The launch was a spectacle, with all 33 Raptor engines on Booster 14-2 igniting flawlessly, executing a new deterministic flip maneuver during hot-staging separation, a milestone in conserving fuel for controlled stage separation.
Ship 35 achieved Second Stage Engine Cutoff (SECO) at 189 km altitude, surpassing the ascent failures of Flights 7 and 8, and entered a suborbital coast phase, a critical step toward SpaceX’s goal of orbital certification. However, a propellant leak in Ship 35’s main tanks disrupted the Reaction Control System (RCS), causing the vehicle to spin uncontrollably during reentry over the Indian Ocean. Contact was lost at 59 km altitude, and the upper stage underwent a rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD), failing to complete its planned Raptor relight or splashdown. The payload door, intended to deploy mock Starlink satellites, also malfunctioned, remaining partially closed. Meanwhile, Booster 14-2 attempted a high-angle-of-attack reentry and boostback burn but exploded during its landing burn over the Gulf of Mexico, likely due to a Raptor engine failure.
Despite extensive pre-flight testing—Ship 35 underwent three cryogenic tests in March, a single-engine static fire in April, and a six-engine, 64-second static fire in May, while Booster 14-2 completed a static fire in April—persistent issues like propellant leaks and engine malfunctions echoed challenges from Flights 7 and 8. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which approved the launch on May 23 after a safety review, is now investigating the anomaly, noting an expanded hazard area of 1,600 nautical miles to mitigate debris risks following earlier incidents near populated areas.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who postponed a planned Mars update to focus on the launch, emphasized the data gained, stating on X, “Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight!” Posts on X reflected mixed sentiments, with users like Jared Isaacman praising the reuse milestone, while others expressed frustration over recurring failures, citing the payload door issue and booster loss. SpaceX highlighted the test’s value, stating, “Success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability.” The company is now analyzing telemetry to address these setbacks, with Ship 36 already cryogenically tested for Flight 10, potentially weeks away, as Musk aims for a faster launch cadence. Despite the explosion, Flight 9’s achievements, like booster reuse and reaching SECO, underscore progress toward a fully reusable system critical for NASA’s lunar missions and Musk’s vision of Mars colonization, though significant engineering hurdles remain.
