Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 test launch was scrubbed at the last second due to engine failures.
Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 test launch was scrubbed at the last second on Thursday after several Raptor 3 engines failed to light during ignition. The mission, which was scheduled to launch from Starbase, Texas, at 6:45 p.m. EDT, was aborted by the rocket's automated flight computer as the vehicle began its liftoff sequence. To ensure a successful flight, Musk stated that two Raptor engines will be removed and replaced. The company expects the next launch attempt to occur early next week. This mission marks the second flight of the Starship Version 3 configuration and was intended to deploy 20 production Starlink V3 satellites on a suborbital trajectory. The launch delay caused SpaceX stock to decline for a fifth consecutive session in premarket trading on Friday. SpaceX is currently working to refine the heat shield and engine reliability to prepare for future orbital flights and the upcoming Artemis 3 mission.