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Analysis and Space

Will SpaceX’s Starship rocket ever work – and what if it doesn’t?

The failure of SpaceX’s ninth Starship launch has raised fresh concerns about the future of the rocket, but is there any alternative to Elon Musk’s approach to space?

By Jonathan O’Callaghan

29 May 2025

Starship’s ninth test flight took place on 27 May

Joe Marino/UPI/Shutterstock

Another launch, another failure? With the ninth flight of SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket ending in the vehicle’s loss, questions are being asked about whether Elon Musk’s company can ever deliver on its promises to return people to the moon, launch new space stations and one day take astronauts to Mars.

“I expected more progress from SpaceX by now,” says Laura Forczyk at space industry consultancy Astralytical. “It’s frustrating from an outsider’s perspective, because I’m rooting for them. So much of the space community is relying on…

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