SpaceX Starship Ninth Test Flight Loses Control After Launch

SpaceX's ninth Starship test flight launched successfully from Texas, marking the smoothest test of the year despite previous failures. The flight achieved key milestones including the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster and successful separation of the Starship from the booster, but the spacecraft lost attitude control and spun uncontrollably during re-entry, resulting in an early descent into the Indian Ocean. The mission also faced setbacks such as the inability to open the cargo bay doors to deploy mock satellites. The Federal Aviation Administration had recently cleared SpaceX for this test following two prior Starship explosions earlier in the year, which had caused widespread debris and temporary airspace restrictions. SpaceX emphasized that such tests provide valuable data to improve Starship's reliability as part of Elon Musk’s vision to make life multiplanetary. Overall, the flight demonstrated progress while highlighting remaining technical challenges.