SpaceX Starship Flight 9: Know Official Reasons Behind Why the Spaceship Lost Control

On May 27, 2025, SpaceX sent its large Starship rocket on its ninth test journey. This launch happened from their special site called Starbase, located in Texas. Even though the mission managed to do some important things it set out to do, it sadly did not end well. Both parts of the rocket, the very big first stage called the Super Heavy booster and the top part of the rocket, the Starship itself, were lost and destroyed.

So, what exactly went wrong? Well, the mission ultimately lost control. We will look into the details of why the rocket could not stay on its planned path and what specific issues led to its destruction. Understanding these problems helps SpaceX learn and improve for future flights, as each test, even the ones that do not go perfectly, provides crucial information for their goal of reaching space.

Starship’s ninth flight test marked a major milestone for reuse with the first flight-proven Super Heavy booster launching from Starbase, and once more returned Starship to space → https://t.co/Gufroc2kUz pic.twitter.com/RNJkj5OobP

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 28, 2025 

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1. The Cargo Door Got Stuck

One of the main things this Starship was supposed to do was open its cargo door, just like it would when letting out satellites in space. But the door did not open. This caused problems with the rocket's balance from the inside. It would be much more difficult to walk straight if you were carrying a heavy object in your backpack and it suddenly shifted to one side.

 For a spacecraft, it is comparable. The entire weight distribution may be thrown off if the cargo is not released correctly, particularly if the ship is attempting to return through Earth's atmosphere. The Starship found it much more difficult to maintain stability as a result.

2. Fuel Started Leaking

During the flight, there was a leak in the fuel system. This is a really big problem because a spacecraft needs a constant and steady flow of fuel to move around and steer itself. A leak not only means the rocket has less power to push itself, but it can also mess up the systems that control the ship. This can make the rocket very unstable, both when it is in space and when it is trying to come back down to Earth.

3. The Rocket Lost Its Way

Starship was unable to maintain its direction as it began to return to Earth's atmosphere. Consider attempting to operate a vehicle without a functional steering wheel. Controlling its "attitude," or angle, is crucial. This is how the spacecraft aims itself to land in the proper location and ensures that its heat shields are facing the proper direction to protect it from the extreme heat. The Starship eventually broke apart because it was unable to properly angle itself to withstand the intense forces and heat of re-entry without this control.

4. The Big Booster Blew Up

The Super Heavy booster, which had flown before, did not make it through its landing try. It exploded over the Gulf of Mexico. This might have happened because of problems with how its engines were working, or maybe it was trying to come down too fast and too aggressively. The main part of the rocket was lost so early, engineers also could not get important information from what would have been a successful booster landing.

5. Failed New Experiment 

SpaceX decided to try out some new and experimental things during this flight. For example, when the booster was supposed to land, they tried lighting up fewer engines than they normally would.

 While these kinds of bold tests are great for finding new and better ways to do things, they also make it more likely for something to go wrong. This time, that more daring testing approach played a part in why the booster crashed.

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