SpaceX’s highly anticipated launch of its newest and largest Starship was halted just moments before liftoff on Thursday evening, marking a setback for the ambitious aerospace company. The countdown was stopped with less than 30 seconds to go due to a series of technical issues.
The towering 407-foot (124-meter) rocket was set to embark on a significant test flight from its Texas base, aiming to cover roughly half the globe. However, complications arose with the freshly built launch pad at SpaceX’s Starbase facility near the Mexican border, and time constraints forced a delay.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, later explained that a hydraulic pin responsible for securing the launch tower’s arm failed to retract as needed. Musk indicated that if the issue is resolved promptly, another attempt could be made as soon as Friday.
The aborted launch comes on the heels of Musk’s announcement that SpaceX intends to go public, adding another layer of interest to the proceedings.
This Starship test flight is notable for carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites, which it plans to deploy before re-entering the Indian Ocean after an hour-long journey. This mission marks the 12th test flight of a Starship and the first since the previous fall.
NASA is closely watching the development of this latest Starship model, as it plans to utilize the spacecraft to transport astronauts to the moon in the coming years.
