May 28, 2025: SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, conducted on May 27, 2025, ended in failure when the spacecraft’s upper stage broke apart during its descent over the Indian Ocean. Designated as the ninth integrated test flight, the mission initially appeared successful, lifting off from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas without incident.

The malfunction occurred during the re-entry phase. Data indicated a loss of vehicle integrity before splashdown. This is the third Starship failure in 2025, following test anomalies in both January and March. In each case, the vehicle reached space but failed to complete all mission objectives, particularly safe recovery or controlled landing.

SpaceX engineers are analyzing telemetry to determine the cause of the structural failure during descent. Preliminary assessments indicate that re-entry heating or aerodynamic stress may exceed structural tolerances. The company has not yet confirmed whether the issue lies in the thermal protection system or vehicle control mechanisms.

Despite the outcome, SpaceX maintains that these test flights are critical for the iterative development of Starship, its fully reusable spacecraft platform. Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized the need for rapid trial-and-error in hardware testing to accelerate reliability for future missions, including crewed flights to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis program and future Mars expeditions.

SpaceX continues to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees launch licensing and public safety compliance. The FAA is expected to conduct an incident review, though no ground damage or public safety violations have been reported.

The internal sentiment at SpaceX remains forward-looking. Engineers are already incorporating data from the failure into design adjustments for future flights. The timeline for the next Starship launch has not been confirmed but is likely to slip pending redesigns and FAA reapproval.

The persistence of failure across three consecutive tests raises pressure on SpaceX to demonstrate progress in vehicle robustness. However, the company remains committed to its test schedule and long-term goal of creating a fully reusable space transportation system.