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Four Raptor failures abort SpaceX Starship test
SpaceX’s 13th Starship test aborted after four Raptor engines failed to start. Two engines will be replaced before the next attempt.
Image: The Register
SpaceX’s 13th Starship flight test never left the launchpad after four Raptor engines failed to start, triggering an automatic abort moments before liftoff.
The company ignited the booster’s engines at 22:45 UTC on July 16, but the launch system halted the attempt. Elon Musk said:
“Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort… To be confident of a good flight, two Raptors will be removed and replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week.”
The cause remains unclear, as does whether SpaceX will need to de-stack the vehicle to replace the engines. While the abort demonstrated Starship’s anomaly-detection systems, the failure is a setback for a rocket expected to launch repeatedly and rapidly to support the Artemis IV Moon landing planned for 2028.
Starship’s orbital test schedule
Flight Test 13 is the second test of Starship’s V3 configuration. The vehicle has not yet reached orbit, but a successful mission demonstrating engine reignition in space could allow SpaceX to move beyond suborbital flights.
That milestone is urgent: Artemis III is scheduled to launch next year, and Starship must be qualified for orbital operations by then. NASA is also using SpaceX’s Starlink to deliver Artemis III imagery from Orion.
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The launch abort also came as SpaceX’s stock was under pressure. After an early surge briefly made Musk a trillionaire on paper, shares closed at just over $131, below the $135 initial public offering price that valued the loss-making company at roughly $1.78 trillion.
Despite Musk’s suggestion of “early next week,” SpaceX has not officially confirmed the date of the next Starship launch attempt.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via The Register
