The year 2025 has been a true test for the global space industry. Amid impressive achievements and new records, the sector was hit by a series of failures that not only stunned experts but also sparked heated debate among the public. This year, rockets and spacecraft from various countries and private companies suffered crashes, exploded at launch, or failed to reach their destinations. Each incident meant not only the loss of costly equipment, but also valuable lessons for future missions.
This article compiles the most notable accidents and setbacks of 2025, including failed launches, unsuccessful Moon landings, and problems with booster returns. Despite these challenges, the space sector continues to move forward, with each failure paving the way for future success.
Rocket Launch Failures
One of the most talked-about events of the spring was the failed launch of India’s PSLV-XL rocket on May 17. The mission was supposed to deliver the Earth observation satellite EOS-09 into orbit, but a malfunction in the third stage led to the loss of the payload. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) acknowledged the failure and promised to take the lessons learned into account in future projects.
The American company Firefly Aerospace faced two major challenges in 2025. In April, their Alpha rocket failed to deliver an experimental payload for Lockheed Martin into orbit. In September, the first stage of their next mission exploded during a test on the stand. The company promptly identified the cause—a process integration error—and is now preparing a new launch for early 2026.
China also experienced setbacks. In August, the sixth launch of the Zhuque-2 rocket by startup Landspace ended in failure, and in November, a similar fate befell the Ceres-1 rocket from Galactic Energy. In both cases, the payloads were lost due to technical malfunctions during the final stages of flight.
Failed Debuts and Crashes
Europe made its mark on the list of failures as well: on March 30, the German company Isar Aerospace launched its Spectrum rocket for the first time from the Andøya spaceport in Norway. This was the first orbital launch from European soil in history, but just 18 seconds after liftoff, the vehicle crashed and exploded. Despite the setback, the company is already preparing for the next launch.
Australia made a bid to join the club of spacefaring nations in July with the Eris rocket from Gilmour Space. The first launch from Queensland’s spaceport ended when the rocket veered off course and crashed just 14 seconds after liftoff. South Korea also faced disappointment: on December 22, private company Innospace launched the Hanbit-Nano rocket for the first time, but the vehicle failed just a minute after takeoff.
Landing and Recovery Issues
2025 was also marked by failed attempts to recover rocket stages. In January, Blue Origin’s New Glenn first stage failed to land after successfully delivering its payload to orbit. In March, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 experienced a similar setback, followed by China’s Zhuque-3 and Long March 12A in December. Although the primary missions—putting payloads into orbit—were accomplished, the failed landings prompted further analysis and improvements in technology.
Japan faced its own challenges: on December 21, the H3 rocket was unable to place the Michibiki 5 navigation satellite into its intended orbit, resulting in the loss of the spacecraft. This dealt a serious blow to the national space program.
Lunar missions under threat
Private companies’ efforts to reach the Moon in 2025 were marred by high-profile failures. In March, the American Athena lander from Intuitive Machines successfully touched down on the lunar surface, but soon toppled over, preventing the completion of some scientific objectives. This was the company’s second such incident: in 2024, their Odysseus lander also fell over after landing.
On June 5, the Japanese company ispace made another effort to achieve a soft lunar landing, but its Resilience lander crashed in the area of Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold). Despite this, the mission completed several interim goals, and the company is already planning another launch in 2027.
Starship tests and new challenges
In 2025, SpaceX conducted five test launches of its heavy-lift Starship rocket from the Starbase site in Texas. The first three flights ended in failure: in January, the upper stage exploded ten minutes after liftoff, and in March and May, both stages were lost before completing their missions. In June, the vehicle exploded during a static fire test, but by autumn, the company managed to achieve two consecutive successful launches.
In November, a new variant of the Super Heavy first stage was damaged during testing, but SpaceX is pressing ahead with the next version of Starship, designed to reach Mars. Despite a string of failures, Elon Musk’s company continues to push forward and remains an industry leader.
If you haven’t heard, Firefly Aerospace is a private American company based in Texas that specializes in the development and launch of small and medium-sized launch vehicles. The company actively collaborates with major players in the aerospace industry, including Lockheed Martin, and aims to secure a strong position in the commercial launch market. In 2025, Firefly faced several technical challenges but continues to advance its projects and is preparing for new test missions.
