The launch and orbital entry of the upper stage were successful,
but issues such as payload door failure and fuel tank leaks occurred.
Once control of the upper stage was lost and communication was severed, the failure was officially declared.
“There was technological progress, but there’s still a long way to go for complete success.” ‘[Edaily Reporter Bang Seong-hoon] SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, attempted the 9th orbital test flight of “Starship” but ended in failure once again. After the previous two failures, they reattempted with technical improvements, but issues occurred post-launch, preventing the completion of the mission. This test flight drew significant attention as it was Musk’s first major return to business since his involvement in the Donald Trump administration.’
According to CNBC and CNN broadcasts on the 27th (local time), SpaceX launched Starship toward low Earth orbit from the Starbase facility in Texas. The launch was streamed live and lasted about an hour.
The launch proceeded smoothly. The first stage booster of the Starship, the “Super Heavy” rocket booster, separated from the second-stage spacecraft, and the upper stage entered orbit as planned. The second-stage spacecraft, measuring 52 meters in length and 9 meters in diameter, can carry approximately 100 people and 100 tons of cargo. The entire launch vehicle, including the Super Heavy (71 meters in length) and the spacecraft, is referred to as Starship, totaling a length of 123 meters.
However, 18 minutes later, the payload door failed to open, preventing the deployment of a mock Starlink satellite (similar in size to a next-generation Starlink satellite). During re-entry into the atmosphere, directional control was lost, and communication was interrupted, resulting in the mission in the Indian Ocean also remaining incomplete. If the flight had gone as planned, the spacecraft would have deployed eight mock Starlink satellites, completed its orbit, and then fallen into the Indian Ocean about 67 minutes later.
SpaceX attempted an engine reignition experiment in orbit when problems arose, but a leak in the upper-stage fuel tank system canceled this experiment. The upper stage lost complete control due to rotating in orbit because of the leak, which was confirmed about 30 minutes post-launch.
After an hour-long flight, SpaceX officially announced the end of the mission, reporting that communication with Starship had been completely lost. The debris is presumed to have fallen over the Indian Ocean.
Signs of potential failure were detected even before the launch. Originally scheduled for 7:30 PM Eastern Time, the launch was abruptly halted with 40 seconds remaining, causing a 6-minute delay.
This launch aimed to succeed after two previous failures and was expected to be a pivotal moment in U.S. space development with the goal of full reuse of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket and opening the era of Mars exploration. It was particularly noteworthy as it marked Musk’s first major business event after officially stepping away from politics.
Regarding this, Musk stated via X (formerly Twitter) in March, during SpaceX’s 23rd anniversary, “Starship will depart for Mars with Optimus (humanoid robot) late next year. If the landing goes well then, manned landings could begin as early as 2029, but 2031 is more likely.”
However, with the 9th test flight ending in failure, it has been highlighted again how technically challenging developing a massive reusable rocket is. SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot commented, “There’s still a lot to do, but there was significant progress today. It was truly an important moment.”
Foreign media reported, “The success and timing of Musk and SpaceX’s challenge will determine whether the U.S. secures space dominance. The future actions and their direction are being closely watched.”
Since April 2023, SpaceX has conducted unmanned orbital test flights of Starship. Among the previous eight attempts, four flights were partly successful according to the planned orbit, but the rest failed. Earlier this year, launches in January and March resulted in the second-stage spacecraft losing communication and subsequently exploding in midair in under 10 minutes.