SpaceX abruptly scrubs Starship test flight
SpaceX scrubbed on Thursday what was to be its first Starship flight since the company went public, abruptly calling it off just as the booster began to ignite. “Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort. Now offloading...
SpaceX abruptly called off a planned Starship test flight on Thursday just as the booster began to ignite, delaying what would have been the rocket’s 13th flight and its first since the company went public in June.
Elon Musk said on X that “some of the engines didn’t start,” which triggered an automatic launch abort. He added that propellant was being offloaded and later said two Raptors would be removed and replaced before another attempt. Musk indicated the most likely launch window would be early next week.
The mission had been expected to build on a largely successful flight in May, when SpaceX flew the latest version of Starship, its third-generation model. That earlier test was intended to demonstrate the new design in flight, though it also exposed problems. Among them were engine issues on the Super Heavy booster, which ended with the booster crashing into the Gulf of Mexico rather than performing a controlled return.
SpaceX said it has made “several modifications to hardware and software” in response to issues seen on the previous flight. The company’s next attempt is expected to test a full sequence that includes launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn and landing burn for the booster offshore.
The upper stage is slated to deploy 20 Starlink V3 satellites, and SpaceX also plans to test a Raptor engine relight in space. Another objective is to evaluate improvements to Starship’s heat shield.
The scrub comes as the company’s public-market debut remains in focus. SpaceX stock closed Thursday at $131.11, below its IPO price of $135. Beyond the launch program, the company has been expanding its satellite internet business and promoting broader ambitions, including AI data centers in space.
There is also a major government stake in Starship’s progress. SpaceX is under contract with NASA to develop a modified version of the vehicle for use as a lunar landing system.
This report is based on a monitored public feed from Dawn Tech. Source attribution is included below.
Source: Dawn Tech - https://www.dawn.com/news/2016151/spacex-abruptly-scrubs-starship-test-flight
