SpaceX abruptly scrubs Starship test flight
SpaceX aborted a test flight of its Starship rocket due to engine startup issues, marking the 13th attempt for the vehicle. The company plans to replace two Raptor engines and retry the launch shortly, following its recent transition to a publicly traded company.
Why it matters
As a newly public company, SpaceX's operational reliability is under increased scrutiny by investors and stakeholders in the aerospace sector.
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.
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