SpaceX reflies Super Heavy booster for the 1st time; Starship lost on reentry

SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket in a highly anticipated test flight that marked the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster. The mission reached a significant milestone before the vehicle broke apart during reentry, according to statements from SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk.

Test flight 9 took place on Tuesday, as part of the company’s continued efforts to develop a reusable rocket. According to Musk, Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff—an advancement over March’s test—and showed no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent.

However, Musk said the vehicle experienced leaks that caused a loss of main tank pressure during the coast and reentry phase, leading to its destruction. The booster was also lost, exploding during its landing attempt.

“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly,” SpaceX confirmed. “Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.”

This was the ninth flight of a Starship vehicle and the first to reuse the lower stage booster. Musk said the next three flights are scheduled at a faster pace, approximately one every three to four weeks.

“Today’s test objectives were designed to intentionally push Super Heavy to the limits,” the company said. “That data will directly feed into making the next generation booster even more capable.”

The previous flight on March 6 ended in a similar breakup, although that mission successfully recovered the booster using the company’s launch and catch tower. Debris from that test was observed over Florida and parts of the Caribbean, prompting temporary airspace closures and an FAA mishap investigation.

Starship is SpaceX’s fully reusable launch system designed to carry crew and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Standing nearly 400 feet tall, it consists of two stages—the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage—both intended for recovery and reuse.

“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn,” SpaceX said. “Today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability as we continue working to make life multiplanetary.”