SpaceX's latest uncrewed Starship launch at first went off without a boom May 27 but eventually broke up almost an hour after it took off.

After two test flights ended in dramatic explosions earlier this year, SpaceX's ninth test of its Starship vehicle experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" on May 27, SpaceX confirmed on X. That's the same language used when Starship's January and March flight tests unexpectedly exploded in the sky.

"Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test," CEO Elon Musk's company wrote. "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."

Liftoff happened just after 7:35 p.m. ET from SpaceX's Starbase headquarters in Boca Chica, Texas.

Starship managed to reach its scheduled ship engine cutoff before disassembling, according to an X post from Musk, who called the flight test a "big improvement" from the last one.

"Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase. Lot of good data to review. Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks," he wrote.

Launch initially went off without an issue

The massive launch, which marked the third this year, seemingly went off successfully early on.

"An incredible flight test so far today," Jessie Anderson, senior production engineering manager at SpaceX, initially said on a livestream. "Ship is in its orbital trajectory."

SpaceX communications specialist Dan Hewitt replied: "What a moment. I need to collect myself."

During the last Starship flight test in March, the gargantuan rocket broke up, sending fiery debris across the sky. Still, SpaceX said progress was made during the launch when the ship's rocket booster was caught by giant mechanical arms known as chopsticks. It was the second time in a row the booster catch went as planned, and third time overall.

This time around, the booster catch was not attempted as SpaceX said it prioritizes the acceleration and development of Musk's plans for Starship to reach Mars. The team lost connection with the booster, which had been expected to land in the Gulf of America.

SpaceX was also unable to release eight mock objects resembling Starlink internet satellites because the ship's door would not open wide enough, according to Hewitt. In another hiccup, the spacecraft started spinning, causing it to head toward the Indian Ocean for an uncontrolled landing. However, Hewitt clarified that SpaceX cleared an large area of the Indian Ocean so it could land safely.

He later confirmed that SpaceX eventually also lost contact with the ship itself, concluding Starship flight test nine.

"We were not able to do a lot of our own orbit objectives today, but just the fact that we got it into space was, just that was just a really big moment for a lot of the team," Hewitt said.

When was the ninth flight test approved?

The Federal Aviation Administration greenlit another Starship flight test on May 22 after SpaceX completed its investigation into the March 6 launch. The FAA said SpaceX completed "all of the rigorous safety, environmental and other licensing requirements" for another go-ahead.

Similar to the March launch, the Jan. 16 Starship test flight also ended in an explosion that SpaceX later said was caused by propellant leaks and fires in the aft section of the vehicle, commonly referred to as the attic.

What is Starship?

Starship is SpaceX's gargantuan rocket and vehicle designed to one day be a fully reusable transportation system that can return to the ground for additional missions. In the years ahead, Starship is intended to carry both cargo and humans into Earth's orbit and deeper into the cosmos.

NASA's lunar exploration plans, which appear to be in jeopardy under President Donald Trump's proposed budget, call for Artemis III astronauts aboard the Orion capsule to board the Starship while in orbit for a ride to the moon's surface.

But Musk is more preoccupied with Starship reaching Mars – potentially, he has said, by the end of 2026. Under his vision, human expeditions aboard the Starship could then follow in the years after the first uncrewed spacecraft reaches the Red Planet.

What happened on March 6 Starship flight?

During the eighth launch test on March 6, flight operators lost contact with the upper portion of Starship, which exploded less than 10 minutes into the flight, creating debris visible from Florida to the Caribbean.

Despite the failure of the Starship vehicle, the spacecraft's rocket booster managed to navigate back to the launch pad. The maneuver, first completed in October 2024, involves SpaceX catching the booster with giant mechanical arms known as chopsticks.

How big is Starship?

Starship is regarded as the world’s largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. At more than 400 feet tall, Starship towers over SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world's most active – which stands at nearly 230 feet.

The launch vehicle is made up of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage spacecraft.

Super Heavy alone is powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor engines. The upper section, also called Starship or Ship for short, is the upper stage powered by six Raptor engines that will ultimately travel in orbit.

Anthony Robledo covers national trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him arobledo@usatoday.com

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SpaceX Starship rocket breaks up again after last 2 attempts ended in explosions

Reporting by Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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