Starship Flight 9 crashed over the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, May 27, 30 minutes after launching from SpaceX's facility in Texas, United States. The rocket lost control in mid-flight and failed shortly after liftoff. The mission was to install eight Starlink simulator satellites and test the vehicle's re-entry system with 100 removed heat-shield tiles.
New footage released on the internet shows Starship Flight 9 burning through the atmosphere after losing control due to a leak. YouTuber AstroLife captured the dramatic moment of the flight, which was seen burning in the sky after it was said to be a 'critical leak' which has caused the spacecraft to lose altitude control.
The fuel system caused Starship Flight 9 to dramatically lose control and spin into the air, making a spectacular, comet-like display visible across parts of Africa. Also, the payload door failed to open during the flight. According to the company, the remaining parts of the ship that do not disintegrate from the heat of reentry are expected to land in the Indian Ocean.
Elon Musk Watching the Starship 9 Test Flight From the Control Center in Texas
Also Read | Brass Mill Center Shooting: 5 People Shot at Shopping Mall in Connecticut's Waterbury (Watch Video).
SpaceX later released a statement after the incident, "As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly. Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test."
"With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary," SpaceX stated in a post on X.
This is another setback for the SpaceX crew of the Starship program, which has faced challenges in previous tests. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) witnessed the event and is expected to conduct an investigation to find the exact cause of the Starship Flight 9 failure. However, no injuries or damage to property have yet been reported following the incident.
SpaceX has not yet announced the date and time of another Starship flight but has indicated that the company will continue to refine the mission system based on the data collected from this mission.