SpaceX’s highly anticipated ninth Starship test flight ended in failure after a series of critical malfunctions mid-mission. Launched on May 27, 2025, from Starbase in Texas, the spacecraft initially achieved a successful ascent but quickly spiraled out of control due to a fuel system leak. The mission, which aimed to test reentry dynamics with missing heat-shield tiles and deploy eight Starlink simulator satellites, suffered multiple setbacks—including a booster loss and payload door failure.