SpaceX launched a ninth uncrewed test flight of Starship from Starbase, Texas on Tuesday. The Brief SpaceX launched Starship Tuesday from its Starbase site in southern Texas after two prior test flights ended in explosions. The spacecraft aimed for reentry in the Indian Ocean, but a door malfunction prevented the release of mock Starlink satellites. It was the first Starship test to use a recycled booster, which splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico without recovery plans. After two explosive failures earlier this year, SpaceX made progress Tuesday with its latest Starship test flight — even as the mission failed to complete a satellite deployment demonstration. The 403-foot rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, lifted off from Starbase in South Texas. The company hoped the upper stage would travel halfway around the world before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. That goal was partially met, but a door designed to release eight mock Starlink satellites failed to open properly, preventing their deployment. The SpaceX Starship rocket stands on the launchpad ahead of its scheduled launch from Starbase as seen from South Padre Island, Texas on May 27, 2025. (Photo by SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images) This marked the first time a reused booster was used in a Starship flight. Unlike earlier launches, SpaceX did not attempt to recover the booster with its "chopsticks" system and instead allowed it to crash into the Gulf of Mexico. Why this test still mattered Big picture view: