SpaceX’s Starship suffers mid-flight failure, raising fresh questions about Mars ambitions
By Axel Miller | 28 May 2025
SpaceX’s Starship rocket took off with promise but ended in setback once again on Tuesday, as the mammoth launch vehicle lost control mid-flight and failed to meet several critical test milestones. The mission, which marked Starship’s ninth integrated test, underscores the technical complexity and growing pressure surrounding Elon Musk’s flagship space venture — a rocket system central to his vision of a future on Mars.
The 400-foot rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas, surpassing the altitudes reached in its two earlier explosive flights this year. In a notable first, the mission employed a reused booster — a move that reflects SpaceX’s continuing push toward full reusability. However, the lower-stage booster failed to make its planned controlled splashdown, and contact was lost before it plunged into the sea.
The upper stage fared no better. Although it reached space, Starship began spinning uncontrollably roughly 30 minutes into the mission. SpaceX later confirmed that the mechanism designed to deploy mock Starlink satellites — likened to a Pez dispenser — malfunctioned, forcing a change of plan mid-flight. A leak in the spacecraft’s primary fuel tank was cited as the cause of the loss of control.
SpaceX’s live stream commentator Dan Huot summed up the situation candidly: “Not looking great with a lot of our on-orbit objectives for today.”
Elon Musk, who had been scheduled to address Starship’s future and humanity’s path to becoming a multiplanetary species, made no appearance after the launch. Instead, he posted on X, noting the successful engine shutdown in space — a positive carryover from prior tests — and said the company gathered “a lot of good data to review.” He added that future flights would come at a faster pace, with the next three expected to launch every three to four weeks.
High stakes for NASA and the commercial space race
While Starship’s development is privately funded, its implications stretch into public space programs. NASA is counting on Starship to carry astronauts to the Moon in 2027 under its Artemis program. Any major delays or engineering flaws risk spilling over into national space policy and timelines — especially since Starship is expected to handle lunar landings.
SpaceX’s culture of rapid prototyping and risk tolerance — unorthodox in a sector known for its caution — is both a competitive advantage and a source of volatility. The company’s fail-fast, iterate-faster approach has enabled it to leap ahead in the commercial space race, but critics argue that setbacks like Tuesday’s flight highlight potential gaps in system reliability, especially for human-rated missions.
The rocket’s trajectory had been intended to nearly complete a full orbit of Earth before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. That maneuver was designed to test upgrades in heat shield tiles and aerodynamic flaps critical for safe re-entry. Instead, the test ended prematurely, as a fireball visible over southern Africa marked the vehicle’s descent.
Federal regulators had just cleared this test flight after a nearly two-month grounding tied to earlier failures. The FAA had also expanded safety zones after previous incidents scattered debris across the Caribbean and forced the rerouting of commercial aircraft.
Summary
SpaceX’s latest Starship test shows clear signs of technical progress — including the use of a previously flown booster — but also highlights persistent engineering challenges that threaten to delay Musk’s vision of Mars colonization and NASA’s lunar plans. While SpaceX remains committed to a rapid flight schedule, the growing string of setbacks raises questions about the feasibility of hitting key milestones, particularly those involving human spaceflight and national space partnerships. For now, Starship remains a high-risk, high-reward venture — one that will continue to test the boundaries of aerospace innovation and investor patience alike.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is SpaceX’s Starship, and why is it important?
Starship is a fully reusable rocket system developed by SpaceX, designed to carry large payloads and humans to destinations like the Moon, Mars, and beyond. It is central to Elon Musk’s long-term vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species and is also a key asset in NASA’s Artemis program for lunar missions.
2. What went wrong with the latest Starship test flight?
The upper stage of Starship lost control roughly 30 minutes into the flight due to a leak in the main fuel tank. Additionally, a planned test deployment of mock Starlink satellites failed, and the lower-stage booster did not achieve its planned controlled splashdown.
3. Why was this test flight considered significant despite the failure?
This was the first Starship test to reuse a booster stage, marking a step forward in SpaceX’s reusability goals. The flight also surpassed the points of failure from two earlier launches, indicating incremental progress in performance and data collection.
4. How does this setback impact NASA’s lunar program?
NASA plans to use Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon by 2027. Continued delays or technical problems could jeopardize that timeline, especially if reliability and safety issues persist.
5. What is SpaceX’s approach to testing and failure?
SpaceX adopts a rapid iteration and flight-testing strategy. The company accepts failure as part of the learning process, often pushing systems to failure points to gather data for future improvements. This contrasts with more conservative approaches in traditional aerospace companies.
6. How often will Starship test flights now occur?
According to Elon Musk, SpaceX plans to increase the launch cadence to roughly one flight every 3 to 4 weeks, reflecting the company’s urgency to iterate and move closer to operational readiness.
7. What are the commercial implications of Starship’s development?
If successful, Starship could revolutionize space logistics by drastically lowering the cost of launching large satellites, interplanetary cargo, and potentially even point-to-point travel on Earth. It may also eventually replace SpaceX’s current workhorse, the Falcon 9, in commercial satellite deployment.
8. How are regulatory bodies responding to Starship’s failures?
The FAA has been actively investigating past mishaps and adjusting safety zones accordingly. While it continues to grant launch licenses, regulatory scrutiny may increase if debris or public safety concerns persist.
