SpaceX abruptly scrubs Starship test flight

SpaceX on Thursday (July 17, 2026) aborted what was to be its first Starship flight since the company went public, abruptly calling it off just as the booster began to ignite.

"Some of the engines didn't start, triggering an automatic launch abort. Now offloading propellant," company head Elon Musk said on X. "To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed and replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week," he added in a later post.

The flight was to be the mammoth rocket's 13th overall. When it eventually takes off, the flight aims will be similar to those of a mostly successful voyage carried out in May, which debuted the latest edition of the powerful Starship, its third-generation model.