SpaceX's Starship, the world's largest rocket, successfully reached space during its ninth test flight but failed to return intact. A propellant leak caused the upper-stage vehicle to spin uncontrollably, resulting in its breakup during atmospheric re-entry. The debris fell into the Indian Ocean as planned. While the flight surpassed previous attempts, SpaceX still faces significant challenges in perfecting Starship's reusability, a key aspect of Elon Musk's Mars colonization ambitions. Several planned tests were not conducted due to the early termination.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.