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In a fresh attempt to showcase its Starship mega rocket, SpaceX launched its ninth demo from the Starbase site in Texas on Tuesday evening. The 403-foot rocket, designed for moon and Mars travel, unfortunately failed to meet its primary objectives, ending in a loss of control and subsequent disassembly as it headed toward the Indian Ocean.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX had high hopes for this flight. Following lift-off, the plan was to deploy a series of mock satellites. However, this was thwarted when the satellite door failed to fully open. Shortly after, the spacecraft began an uncontrolled spin, resulting in its breakup as it approached an unplanned landing site.

SpaceX confirmed this setback with a statement that described the incident as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly." Nevertheless, the company remains committed to their goals, vowing to continue data review and readying for the next flight.

CEO Elon Musk remains optimistic despite the outcome. In a post on X, he called the flight a "big improvement" compared to the previous demos, which ended in disaster over the Atlantic. Musk assured that they plan a more rapid launch schedule, aiming for one Starship flight every three to four weeks over the upcoming tests.

This particular flight marked the debut of a recycled booster on one of Musk’s Starships. The booster wasn't intended to be recovered; instead, SpaceX opted to push its limits, leading to its eventual crash into the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft itself lost control, possibly due to fuel leaks, as it journeyed towards the Indian Ocean.

Commentary from SpaceX during the demo hinted that many of the test's on-orbit objectives, including testing the spacecraft's heat shield during reentry, had not been met. Communication with the spacecraft ceased before it hit the water, and SpaceX concluded its webcast shortly thereafter.

Previous demo flights this year also ended in failure, not making it past the Caribbean and resulting in ocean wreckage. Despite these challenges, the Federal Aviation Administration recently cleared Starship for another flight, having expanded the hazard area and scheduled launches to avoid peak air travel times.

SpaceX had made several modifications, including enhanced thermal tiles and special fittings, aimed at better future recapture efforts of the spacecraft. While this demo was intended as a submersion test in the Indian Ocean, these upgrades are crucial for future missions.

NASA relies on SpaceX to advance these technologies significantly within the next year to ensure that humans can land on the moon again. The planned lunar mission next year will orbit the moon but won’t land, with moon landings anticipated at the earliest by 2027, necessitating a reliable Starship for lunar surface operations.