SpaceX Aborts Starship Launch Seconds Before Liftoff After Engine Failure

SpaceX called off the launch of its Starship rocket just seconds before liftoff on Thursday after multiple engines failed to ignite, forcing a last-minute abort of the highly anticipated test mission.

The launch was halted during the final countdown when some of the rocket's 33 Raptor engines did not start as expected. The company has not yet disclosed the exact cause of the failure but said engineers will investigate the issue before scheduling another launch attempt.

The mission was set to mark the 13th test flight of Starship , the world's largest and most powerful rocket. Standing 407 feet (124 metres) tall, the fully integrated launch system was scheduled to undertake an approximately one-hour suborbital flight , travelling halfway around the world.

On board were 20 of SpaceX's latest-generation Starlink satellites , which were to be deployed during the mission. The satellites were expected to communicate with the existing Starlink constellation in orbit while also capturing images of Starship's heat shield to evaluate its performance during flight.

Unlike operational missions, the test flight did not include plans to recover either the Super Heavy first-stage booster or the Starship upper stage . Both vehicles were intended to complete controlled descents and splash down in the ocean after completing their respective mission objectives.

The aborted launch is another setback in SpaceX's ongoing effort to validate Starship's capabilities through a series of increasingly complex test flights. The company has been rapidly iterating the vehicle's design as it works toward making the rocket fully reusable for future missions to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.

The success of Starship is also considered critical for NASA's Artemis programme , under which the spacecraft is expected to serve as the lunar lander for future missions aimed at returning astronauts to the Moon in the coming years. Until the cause of the engine ignition issue is identified and resolved, SpaceX has not announced a new launch date.