SpaceX has delayed its anticipated launch of the Starship rocket due to an engine issue that occurred just before liftoff. Initially set to depart from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas on Thursday, the mission was halted when multiple engines failed to ignite, activating an automatic abort system. This led to the commencement of fuel offloading from the rocket.
The company aims to attempt another launch in the coming days as engineers work to determine the cause of the engine malfunction. Starship plays a crucial role in Elon Musk’s vision for expanding the Starlink satellite network, building space-based infrastructure, and eventually facilitating human travel to the Moon and Mars.
This mission was poised to be Starship’s first significant test flight since SpaceX recently went public. The delay affected the company’s stock, which saw a drop of over 6 percent in early trading following the postponed launch.
SpaceX has invested upwards of $15 billion into developing Starship, which is intended to be fully reusable. In addition to its commercial objectives, the company is collaborating with NASA under contracts for future lunar missions. However, several technical milestones must still be reached before astronauts can safely board the spacecraft.