WATCH: SpaceX catches super heavy booster, but Starship crashes mid-flight

However, the upper stage of Starship did not complete its mission. It was meant to deploy four Starlink simulators and test reentry technology, but like Flight 7 in January, communication was lost, and the vehicle crashed.

The failure was eerily similar to the previous test flight, where leaking propellant caused a fire, shutting down the engines and leading to an explosion. For this test, SpaceX had increased the rocket’s propellant capacity by 25% and redesigned the forward flaps, but the outcome was the same.

The launch had already faced delays due to technical issues, including a scrubbed attempt on March 3. After resolving the problems, SpaceX finally launched the vehicle on March 7. Despite the setback, the company remains focused on its long-term vision.

“This was a test flight, and we’ll keep learning,” SpaceX said in a statement.

With plans to use Starship for missions to the Moon and Mars, the repeated failures raise concerns about its reliability. As the company continues testing, the world will be watching to see if the next flight can finally succeed without losing another vehicle.