SpaceX Reuses Heavy Booster to Launch Starship, Both Lost on Descent

Insider Brief

• SpaceX’s ninth Starship test flight marked progress with the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster, though both the booster and upper stage failed to complete key objectives.
• The booster executed a successful launch and stage separation but exploded during descent, while Starship reached sub-orbit but was unable to deploy payloads or relight its engine.
• SpaceX is reviewing flight data to address issues including tank pressure loss and guidance errors, with plans to increase launch cadence to one flight every three to four weeks.

SpaceX launched its ninth test flight of the Starship rocket with mixed results. Although Starship reached sub-orbit as planned, the Heavy Booster exploded as it descended and ultimately Starship wasn’t able to carry out a couple key tests.

The test flight lifted off at 6:36 p.m. Central Time from SpaceX’s launch facility in Starbase, Texas. The Super Heavy booster used in the mission had previously flown in January 2025 during the program’s seventh test flight.

According to the company, on this ninth flight, the booster completed its full engine burn and successfully separated from Starship’s upper stage using a technique known as hot-staging, in which the upper stage ignites its engines before full separation.

SpaceX reported that the booster executed a mid-air flip maneuver and began its descent with a higher angle of attack than in prior tests. This steeper descent angle increases air resistance, which slows the vehicle down and reduces the amount of fuel needed for the landing burn. The company said the maneuver offered valuable data to improve control during future reentry attempts.

As the booster approached its splashdown zone in the Gulf of Mexico, recently renamed the Gulf of America by President Donald Trump, it reignited 13 of its engines. Contact was lost shortly after the landing burn began, and the booster experienced what SpaceX described as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” a term the company uses for explosions or structural failures.

Meanwhile, Starship’s upper stage lit all six of its engines and completed its ascent burn. SpaceX indicated the company had made changes to the engine system after its eighth test flight, including strengthening joints, upgrading a nitrogen purge system, and modifying how excess fuel was drained. These fixes aimed to prevent past issues from recurring.

While in orbit, the mission was expected to test new capabilities, including deploying simulated Starlink satellites and relighting a single Raptor engine. However, the payload bay door failed to open, and a guidance issue prevented the spacecraft from orienting correctly for engine relight. These problems halted both the test deployment and the planned reentry burn.

Instead, Starship activated a safety protocol to release pressure from the vehicle and stabilize it for uncontrolled reentry, SpaceX noted. The spacecraft lost contact approximately 46 minutes into the flight. SpaceX stated that all debris was expected to land within a designated hazard area in the Indian Ocean.

Despite the setbacks, SpaceX emphasized that this test marked a significant advance in Starship’s development, particularly with the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster. The company views such tests as essential milestones on the path to creating a launch system capable of carrying humans and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

“Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent,” Elon Musk posted to X.

The company said it is analyzing flight data and will incorporate findings into future vehicles. The test program, conducted under a developmental license, is designed to uncover issues through trial and error, with each flight offering a new opportunity to refine the system. SpaceX indicated the company will continue to work toward its long-term goal of making space travel more routine and sustainable.

“Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase,” Musk wrote in his post. “Lot of good data to review. Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks.”