On May 27, 2025, SpaceX conducted its ninth test flight of the Starship rocket from its Starbase facility in Texas, marking another step in its ambitious journey to create a fully reusable rocket system for interplanetary travel. Launched at 7:37 p.m. EDT, the mission showcased the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster but ended with both the Starship spacecraft and the booster failing to achieve their planned objectives, providing valuable lessons for future flights.

Starship’s ninth flight test marked a major milestone for reuse with the first flight-proven Super Heavy booster launching from Starbase, and once more returned Starship to space → https://t.co/Gufroc2kUz pic.twitter.com/RNJkj5OobP

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 28, 2025

The Starship, consisting of the Super Heavy Booster 14-2 and the upper stage Ship 35, lifted off successfully, captivating viewers via a live stream on SpaceX’s website. This flight was historic as it featured the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster, a milestone in SpaceX’s goal to make the booster capable of multiple launches per day. The rocket executed a smooth ascent, with the booster separating cleanly and beginning its boostback maneuver toward a planned splashdown in the Gulf of America. Ship 35 reached a suborbital altitude of approximately 189 kilometers, carrying a payload of eight Starlink mass simulators.

The mission encountered significant issues during the coast phase. A propellant leak in Ship 35 caused it to lose attitude control, resulting in an uncontrolled spin. This prevented the deployment of the satellite simulators and disrupted experiments to test new heat shield tile configurations, critical for protecting the spacecraft during reentry. As a result, Ship 35 could not orient itself properly and disintegrated during reentry over the Indian Ocean, with debris falling safely away from populated areas.

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