SpaceX’s ninth test flight of its Starship spacecraft, launched on May 27 from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas, ended in failure due to a fuel system leak causing uncontrollable spinning and the loss of the booster stage. The payload door also failed to open, resulting in the spacecraft’s remains falling into the Indian Ocean. The FAA has begun an investigation into the incident, which marks another setback for the company’s Starship program.
Despite a successful launch and initial ascent, the spacecraft began spinning uncontrollably due to a fuel system leak, rendering the heat-shield test unfeasible. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X following the flight test, writing,