Still testing: SpaceX may have solved one problem only to find more on latest Starship flight
SpaceX’s ninth Starship test flight was a mixed bag of success and setbacks. The rocket survived launch, but engineers now face new challenges to overcome.
An onboard camera captured the six Raptor engines on SpaceX’s Starship upper stage approximately three minutes after launching from South Texas on Tuesday. Credit: SpaceX
The sixth test flight of the world’s most powerful rocket marked a significant milestone for SpaceX, as it finally overcame technical issues that plagued the program’s two previous launches. However, just minutes into the mission, Starship lost control while cruising through space and tumbled back into the atmosphere near the Indian Ocean nearly an hour after launch.
Problems persist despite progress
The ninth flight of Starship began with a booming departure from SpaceX’s Starbase launch site at 6:35 pm CDT (7:35 pm EDT; 23:35 UTC) on Tuesday. After a brief hold to resolve last-minute technical glitches, SpaceX resumed the countdown clock to tick away the final seconds before liftoff.
A gush of water poured over the deck of the launch pad just before 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines ignited on the rocket’s massive Super Heavy first-stage booster. Once all 33 engines lit, the enormous stainless steel rocket – towering more than 400 feet (123 meters) – began to climb away from Starbase.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket, flying with a reused first-stage booster for the first time, climbs away from Starbase, Texas. Credit: SpaceX
The Super Heavy booster produced more than twice the power of NASA’s Saturn V rocket as it soared over the Gulf of Mexico. After two-and-a-half minutes, the Raptor engines switched off and the Super Heavy booster separated from Starship’s upper stage.
Six Raptor engines fired on the ship to continue pushing it into space. As the booster started maneuvering for an attempt to target an intact splashdown in the sea, the ship burned its engines for more than six minutes, reaching a top speed of 16,462 mph (26,493 kilometers per hour), right in line with preflight predictions.
Leaks cause loss of main tank pressure
A few minutes after engine shutdown, Starship started to diverge from SpaceX’s flight plan. First, the company aborted an attempt to release eight simulated Starlink Internet satellites in the first test of the Starship’s payload deployer. The cargo bay door would not fully open, and engineers called off the demonstration.
However, a few minutes later, engineers announced that they had sprung a leak in some of the fuel tank systems inside Starship, which eliminated any chance for a controlled reentry and an opportunity to thoroughly scrutinize the performance of Starship’s heat shield. The spin also prevented a brief restart of one of the ship’s Raptor engines in space.
"Not looking great for a lot of our on-orbit objectives for today," Dan Huot, a member of SpaceX’s communications team who hosted the company’s live launch broadcast Tuesday, said.
Victories where you find them
Although the flight did not end as well as SpaceX officials hoped, the company made some tangible progress Tuesday. Most importantly, it broke the streak of back-to-back launch failures on Starship’s two most recent test flights in January and March.
SpaceX kicked off the year with the ambition to launch as many as 25 Starship test flights in 2025. However, an X post by Elon Musk on Tuesday night suggested a faster cadence of launches in the coming months. He said the next three Starships could launch at intervals of about once every three to four weeks.
A new generation of Raptor engines
SpaceX is working on a new generation of Raptor engines, known as Raptor 3, which should begin flying around the end of this year with additional improvements to address the failure mechanism. A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency is "actively working" with SpaceX in the aftermath of Tuesday’s test flight but did not say if the FAA will require SpaceX to conduct a formal mishap investigation.
Shana Diez, director of Starship engineering at SpaceX
Based on preliminary data from Tuesday’s flight, Shana Diez, director of Starship engineering at SpaceX, is optimistic that the next test flight will fly soon. She said engineers still need to examine data to confirm none of the problems from Starship’s previous flight recurred on this launch but added that "all evidence points to a new failure mode" on Tuesday’s test flight.
SpaceX will also study what caused the Super Heavy booster to explode on descent before moving forward with another booster catch attempt at Starbase, she said. "Feeling both relieved and a bit disappointed," Diez wrote. "Could have gone better today but also could have gone much worse."
The future of SpaceX’s Starship program
Despite the setbacks, SpaceX continues to push forward with its ambitious Starship program. With a new generation of Raptor engines on the horizon and a faster cadence of launches in the coming months, it remains to be seen whether the company can overcome the challenges that lie ahead.
One thing is certain: SpaceX’s journey to establish a human presence on Mars will not be an easy one.