SpaceX Starship launch aborted on pad at last moment
SpaceX aborted the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket just seconds before liftoff due to an engine ignition failure. The company plans to attempt another launch shortly, as the mission is critical for NASA's upcoming lunar exploration goals.
Why it matters
Starship's development is essential for NASA's Artemis program and the future of human lunar exploration.
SpaceX’s mega Starship rocket came within a second or so of blasting off on a test flight but some of the engines failed to start, triggering a launch abort.
Elon Musk’s company said it will have to figure out what went wrong before making another attempt to send Starship on a space-skimming flight halfway around the world. It was supposed to be the 13th flight for Starship, which, at 407 feet (124 metres) tall with 33 main engines, is the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket.
SpaceX’s launch webcast on Thursday (July 16, 2026) showed the start of engine ignition three seconds before the planned liftoff, viewed from a drone high above the pad. Whichever engines fired abruptly shut down, with the rocket remaining anchored to the pad. The launch team immediately began draining the fuel from the rocket.
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