SpaceX Aborts Starship V3 Launch After Engine Failure

SpaceX aborted its planned Starship V3 launch at the last minute on Thursday after several Raptor engines failed to ignite, triggering an automatic abort sequence.

“Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort.”

The flight would have been only the second launch of Starship V3 and SpaceX’s first launch as a public company. The company’s first attempt, in May, grounded Starship testing for two months while SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration investigated a booster failure.

Musk said SpaceX would remove and replace two Raptor engines before the next attempt. The most likely launch window is early next week, he said.

Starship V3 launch delay raises investor pressure

SpaceX’s new public-company status puts failed or delayed launches under greater market scrutiny. News of the postponement sent the company’s stock price down 4%. The shares had already been falling since the first few days of trading.

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Despite that drop, SpaceX remains one of the 10 most valuable companies in the world by market capitalization, valued at $1.65 trillion. That figure has fallen by more than $1 trillion over the past week. The company generates far less revenue than other firms in the top 10 and is not profitable.

The aborted test carried 20 third-generation Starlink satellites, which were scheduled to return to Earth shortly after orbital testing. SpaceX has sought approval from the Federal Communications Commission to launch 100,000 of the satellites, a major expansion of Starlink’s availability.

Starlink is a key part of SpaceX’s short- to medium-term revenue strategy outlined in its IPO prospectus. Meeting those ambitions would require a sharp increase in customers—and substantially more satellites in orbit. The company has also reportedly considered a consumer cellular service to compete with AT&T and Verizon.

Starship delays add pressure across the launch industry

Starship is central to SpaceX’s plans to deploy Starlink satellites, explore space, and transport people and resources to the Moon and Mars. Other launch providers are also facing setbacks.

Blue Origin, led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has delayed its New Glenn launch until at least the fourth quarter of this year after a large explosion destroyed part of the launchpad. Firefly Aerospace and Rocket Lab have also suffered setbacks this year.

A failed or delayed Starship program could slow Starlink’s expansion, affecting when consumers get faster satellite broadband and potential new cellular alternatives.