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SpaceX postponed the debut launch of its next-generation Starship V3 rocket on Thursday after a last-minute technical issue forced the company to halt the test flight at its Starbase facility in South Texas.
The launch attempt, scheduled for May 21, was stopped before liftoff after multiple system issues emerged during the final seconds of the countdown.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the problem involved a hydraulic pin on the launch tower that did not retract properly.
“If that can be fixed tonight, there will be another launch attempt tomorrow at 10:30 p.m. GMT (5:30 p.m. CT),” Musk said on the U.S. social media platform X.
SpaceX communications lead Dan Huot said engineers worked to address the problems during the countdown but were unable to complete a safe launch within the available window.
Huot described the operation as a “wet dress rehearsal,” saying propellant loading had been completed for both stages of the rocket.
One of the key issues reportedly involved the water deluge system beneath the launch pad.
With time running out and conditions becoming increasingly unstable, SpaceX aborted the launch at around 11:37 p.m. GMT.
The delay drew attention at the launch site, where spectators, including high-profile guest Nicki Minaj, watched the countdown stop in real time.
SpaceX has confirmed that the next launch window for Starship V3 is targeted for May 22 between 10:30 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. GMT.
Engineers are reviewing telemetry data to identify the root cause of the malfunction before another launch attempt.
The company has not said whether additional delays could be required after the technical assessment.
The test flight is the first for SpaceX’s “version 3” Starship, a redesigned rocket with more powerful Raptor engines and a new launch pad system intended to enable faster turnaround times.
The Starship system consists of two fully reusable stages: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper-stage vehicle.
SpaceX has described Starship as the most powerful launch system ever developed and is developing it for deep-space missions, including future lunar and Mars exploration.
The company is also counting on Starship for NASA Artemis missions to the moon and satellite deployments.
Since its first test flight in April 2023, the Starship program has carried out multiple suborbital launches, with V3 described as its most advanced version so far.
Musk has said the system is intended to support NASA missions, including Artemis 3 and Artemis 4.
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