SpaceX on Tuesday launched its ninth Starship test flight from Starbase, Texas, but the rocket encountered issues in orbit because of a booster exploding shortly before its expected splashdown.
The early explosion led to fuel leaks, which caused the rocket to begin spinning uncontrollably.
SpaceX said its flight team had lost altitude control as the vehicle continued its atmospheric re-entry.
In March, a Starship rocket on its eighth test flight exploded shortly after it was launched from Texas, grounding flights and triggering warnings about falling spaceship debris.
