SpaceX's Starship rocket aborted its 13th flight test just seconds before liftoff in Texas on Thursday after some of its 33 engines failed to start. CEO Elon Musk said the company is likely to make another launch attempt early next week.
The rocket's engines ignited but shut down shortly afterwards, forcing SpaceX to cancel the planned launch at 5:45 p.m. CT (2245 GMT).
SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said the company had initiated a hold on the booster while starting the Raptor engines, leading to the aborted liftoff.
“Some of the engines didn't start, triggering an automatic launch abort,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X. He did not specify how many engines failed but said two Raptor engines would be removed and replaced before the next attempt.
“To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week,” Musk added.
The launch setback comes as Starship plays a central role in NASA's plans to return astronauts to the Moon. The space agency has selected SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to develop lunar landers for future Artemis missions.
Both companies are expected to have their lunar vehicles - SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon - ready for upcoming missions.
NASA plans to use one of these landers for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.
Shares of SpaceX, which went public last month, fell about 3% in after-hours trading following the launch cancellation.
The stock closed at $131.11 on Thursday, dropping below its $135 initial public offering price for the first time since listing.
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Rocket Lab has agreed to acquire Iridium Communications in an $8 billion deal, giving the space company a global satellite communications network and accelerating its expansion beyond launch services. The acquisition marks a major step in its ambition to become a fully integrated space business.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
NASA has named three American astronauts and one Italian astronaut to fly on its Artemis III mission, a major orbital test planned for late next year that will evaluate lunar landing vehicles developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
Nineteen years ago, at Barcelona's Camp Nou, Lionel Messi posed for a charity photo shoot with a five-month-old baby he had never met. On Sunday, that baby, Lamine Yamal, will face Messi in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final as Spain take on Argentina. A full-circle football story.
The half-time interval during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is expected to be extended to around 30 minutes to accommodate the tournament’s first-ever major half-time concert.
Russia's government is prioritising fuel supplies for vehicles delivering food to major retail chains as the country grapples with nationwide fuel shortages caused by repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on its energy infrastructure.
At least 20 children and one adult have been killed after a school bus carrying pupils on a study trip crashed in eastern Uganda. Dozens of other passengers were injured when the vehicle reportedly lost control and overturned.
North Korean state media called South Korea a “puppet” over its participation in a U.S.-led maritime exercise, warning that Seoul and Washington would bear responsibility for any “unpredictable escalation” in the region.
The U.S. will impose new 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports, including furniture, ethanol, machinery, footwear and sugar. The move launches a new wave of tariffs that could eventually affect dozens of countries.
A kāhu, or swamp harrier hawk, found in Wairarapa is New Zealand’s second confirmed H5N1 bird flu case.
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