WASHINGTON: SpaceX’s Starship rocket aborted its 13th flight test just seconds before liftoff from its launch site in Texas on Thursday after several of its 33 Raptor engines failed to ignite during the final countdown.
CEO Elon Musk said the company was assessing the issue but expected to make another launch attempt early next week, provided the necessary checks were completed.
Shares of SpaceX, which went public last month, fell about 3% in aftermarket trading following the scrubbed launch. The stock ended at US$131.11 on Thursday, closing below its IPO price of US$135 for the first time since listing.
“Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort,“ Musk said in a post on X, without disclosing the number of engines on the Super Heavy rocket that did not start. “To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week.”
The launch abort came less than a second before Starship’s planned liftoff from Starbase, SpaceX’s company town in south Texas, at 5:45pm CT (2245 GMT). The rocket’s engines ignited but cut off shortly after.
“We did trigger a hold on the booster that aborted our liftoff as we were starting to light those Raptor engines,“ said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot, speaking on the company’s live stream after the launch was scrubbed. – Reuters
