On May 27, SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded again. This was its ninth flight and the most technically ambitious to date. But like most of its predecessors, the spacecraft failed to complete its mission.

The launch, from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, featured a reused Super Heavy booster — a first.

That booster, originally flown on Flight 7, was not recovered this time. SpaceX aimed for a soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico.

The upper stage, Starship, reached space and coasted for roughly 46 minutes before spinning uncontrollably and breaking apart during re-entry over the Indian Ocean.

The cause: a propellant leak in the upper stage's fuel tank systems.

SpaceX confirmed that this led to a drop in pressure, which in turn caused a loss of attitude control.

"Starship’s payload bay door was unable to open, which prevented the deployment of the eight Starlink simulator satellites. A subsequent attitude control error resulted in bypassing the Raptor relight and prevented Starship from getting into the intended position for reentry," SpaceX said in a statement.

Despite the explosion, SpaceX described the flight as a partial success, highlighting data collected during ascent, stage separation, and a new hot-stage ring design.

A pattern of fiery endings

SpaceX's Starship programme has had nine flight tests since April 2023:

* Flight 1 (April 20, 2023): Explosion minutes after launch.

* Flight 2 (November 18, 2023): Exploded after stage separation.

* Flight 3 (March 14, 2024): Lost control during re-entry; exploded over the Indian Ocean.

* Flight 4 (June 6, 2024): Achieved a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean but lost heat shield tiles and had a damaged steering flap.

* Flight 5 (October 13, 2024): Success with booster return a controlled upper stage splashdown.

* Flight 6 (October 29, 2024): Booster catch and upper stage splashdown.

* Flight 7 (January 16, 2025): Demonstrated full-duration burn; reused booster later deployed in Flight 9.

* Flight 8 (March 31, 2025): Achieved a booster catch but the upper stage exploded during re-entry due to engine failures.

* Flight 9 (May 27, 2025): Upper stage broke up due to propellant leak.

 Mars’ ambitions meet hard reality

The Starship vehicle — both the Super Heavy booster and upper-stage spacecraft — is designed to be fully reusable and is central to Musk’s plans to colonise Mars.

NASA also selected a modified version of Starship to land astronauts on the Moon under its Artemis programme.

The repeated failures, particularly with re-entry, highlight a key bottleneck.

SpaceX admitted that its Starship then went through an "automated safing process (pre-programmed sequence to shut systems down) to vent the remaining pressure to place the vehicle in the safest condition for re-entry."

Any future Mars mission will require not only a reliable Earth departure but also a safe return or landing on another planet.

SpaceX has been building new Starships and modifying its design incrementally.

Flight 9 tested new heat tiles, a revised header tank, and a hot staging method where the upper stage ignites while still attached to the booster.

Some of these innovations worked. The hot staging ring, for instance, helped reduce separation stress, and the vehicle passed the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure —without damage.

Pressure mounts ahead of deadlines

Time is short. NASA's Artemis III Moon mission, scheduled for no earlier than 2027, will rely on a version of Starship to land humans on the lunar surface.

The spacecraft must demonstrate in-orbit refueling, multiple launches for fuel depot deployment, and a successful lunar landing — all in the next 28 months.

Moreover, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate the latest failure. SpaceX must apply for a license modification before flying again.

Still, Musk remains undeterred. He says rapid iteration is key.

"Data review is underway, and new improvements will be implemented as work begins to prepare the next Starship and Super Heavy vehicles for flight," Musk posted on X.

The FAA may take weeks to clear the next launch. But at Starbase, new prototypes are already lined up.

TRT Global - SpaceX’s Starship rocket breaks up during 9th test flight

Elon Musk’s company says the dramatic failure will offer vital lessons as it continues developing the rocket to support future missions to other planets.

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What next?

If SpaceX can overcome its re-entry issues, Starship could revolutionise access to space. Its payload capacity, reusability, and cost-per-kilogram promise unmatched capability.

But critics note that SpaceX has yet to demonstrate orbital refueling or a full Earth return and reuse of the upper stage. Both are essential for a Mars mission.

Also missing are life support tests, radiation shielding trials, and in-space systems validation.

Still, Starship remains the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. At 120 metres tall and with 33 Raptor engines on its booster, it produces more thrust than NASA’s Saturn V or SLS.

Whether it gets humans to Mars remains uncertain. But the cadence is increasing, and the ambition is intact.

Musk is betting on scale, speed, and software. And in his words hours before the launch: "We should either do a base on the moon, or we should send people to Mars."