SpaceX aborted the launch of its giant Starship rocket just moments before liftoff on Thursday after several engines failed to ignite during the countdown, marking the first last-second launch cancellation for the full-scale spacecraft.
Engine ignition began about three seconds before the scheduled launch, but four of the rocket’s 33 engines did not start, prompting the automatic launch system to shut down the remaining engines and keep the 407-foot (124-metre) rocket on the pad. Fuel was immediately drained following the abort.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said two engines would be replaced before the next launch attempt to ensure a successful flight, adding that the mission could be rescheduled for early next week.
The planned 13th test flight was to carry 20 of SpaceX’s latest Starlink satellites on a space-skimming journey from Starbase in Texas. The satellites were expected to communicate with others already in orbit while capturing images of Starship’s heat shield. Neither the booster nor the spacecraft was intended for recovery.
NASA is relying on Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis programme. SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing lunar landing systems for future moon missions, with Artemis III expected to conduct docking tests before Artemis IV aims to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole no earlier than 2028.
