SpaceX cancels Starship's 13th test flight seconds away due to engine failure

SpaceX canceled the 13th test mission of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, at the last moment due to some engines failing right after the countdown reached zero. The company has not yet announced the exact technical reason behind this last-minute cancellation at the Starbase facility in Texas. Elon Musk, in a statement on social media, stated that the automatic launch abort system was triggered and expressed their hope to make a new attempt within a few days.

The interruption at such an advanced stage of the countdown necessitated the draining of the liquid methane and oxygen inside the rocket. This mission was set to be the second flight of the third version of the Starship rocket this year. The main objective was to test the performance of the Super Heavy booster, the rocket's first stage, in reaching orbit, separating, and successfully landing on a platform in the Gulf of Mexico waters.

This mission was also of great importance as it was to be the first flight of the Starship that will carry the new generation Starlink V3 satellites into orbit. NASA is closely monitoring the program because it will use this rocket to transport astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the crewed Artemis mission. Delays in the Starship rocket had previously caused NASA to postpone its Moon mission from late 2026 to mid-2027.