SpaceX‘s latest attempt to test its Starship mega rocket ended in failure on Tuesday, as the upper stage of the vehicle spun out of control, leaked fuel, and made an uncontrolled reentry over the Indian Ocean, officials confirmed.Lost contact mid-flightThe 403-foot Starship launched from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas in what was its ninth test flight. While the rocket successfully flew halfway around the world and released dummy Starlink satellites, mission control lost contact with the upper stage during its return.“Just to confirm, we did lose contact with the ship officially a couple of minutes ago. So that brings an end to the ninth flight test,” said SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot during the company’s live stream.Upper stage malfunctionedAccording to SpaceX, the spacecraft suffered a fuel leak and began spinning out of control before making an uncontrolled reentry. The rocket was expected to splash down in the Indian Ocean, but instead, it likely disintegrated before impact.This flight also marked the first time SpaceX used a recycled booster, which detached as planned and headed toward a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.Test offers data despite setbackDespite the failed reentry, the mission provided SpaceX with valuable test data. Engineers had made several changes ahead of this launch, including upgrades to thermal protection tiles and new fittings for potential future vehicle recovery.The two previous Starship flights earlier this year also failed shortly after launch. No injuries or damage were reported in those incidents, though air travel was briefly disrupted. The Federal Aviation Administration approved Tuesday’s test with safety precautions in place.
