Washington: SpaceX was forced to call off the latest test launch of its upgraded Starship rocket after a series of technical issues surfaced just seconds before liftoff, delaying what was expected to be a major milestone for the company’s deep-space ambitions.
The towering 407-foot spacecraft stood fully assembled at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas, ready for its planned high-altitude test mission that would have carried it on a partial orbit path stretching across the globe. However, with less than 30 seconds remaining in the countdown, engineers detected multiple problems linked to the launch infrastructure, prompting an immediate halt.
The delay marked another dramatic twist in the company’s effort to test the largest and most powerful rocket system ever built.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk later revealed that the primary issue involved a hydraulic locking pin responsible for retracting one of the launch tower’s mechanical arms. The malfunction prevented the system from clearing the rocket for safe liftoff.
Musk said teams are working to resolve the fault quickly and suggested another launch attempt could take place as early as Friday if repairs are completed in time.
The mission would have been the 12th test flight of Starship and the first launch since the rocket’s previous trial last fall. This upgraded version is designed to carry greater payload capacity and includes improved systems intended for future orbital and lunar operations.
For this test, Starship was loaded with 20 mock Starlink satellites, which were expected to be released during flight before the spacecraft made a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean roughly an hour after launch.
The launch attempt came just a day after Musk announced plans to take SpaceX public, a move that has generated fresh attention around the company’s rapid expansion and long-term commercial goals.
Starship remains central to NASA’s Artemis programme, with the US space agency relying on a modified version of the spacecraft to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade.
Despite the setback, SpaceX officials remain optimistic, noting that countdown holds are a normal part of testing highly complex launch systems. Engineers are expected to complete a full technical review before the next attempt proceeds.
