SpaceX loses both rocket stages in third consecutive Starship test failure

28/5/2025 12:50

SpaceX's Starship rocket suffered another failure Tuesday evening, marking the third straight loss of its next-generation Starship upper stage and dealing a fresh blow to the company's Mars colonization ambitions.



The 122-meter-tall Starship rocket lifted off at 7:37 p.m. local time Tuesday from SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas.



Both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage were destroyed during the test. The mission represented the first attempt to reuse a Super Heavy booster in the Starship program.



The Super Heavy first stage, powered by 33 methane-fueled engines, suffered catastrophic failure at the moment its engines re-ignited for landing in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX had deliberately programmed the booster to follow a more stressful descent trajectory as part of experimental testing.



The Starship upper stage initially performed well. However, a cargo hatch failed to fully open, preventing the deployment of eight dummy Starlink satellites designed to test cargo deployment capabilities.