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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2014an advancement over March\u2019s test\u2014and showed no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStarship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly,\u201d SpaceX confirmed<\/a>. \u201cTeams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToday\u2019s test objectives were designed to intentionally push Super Heavy to the limits,\u201d the company said. \u201cThat data will directly feed into making the next generation booster even more capable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n