SpaceX Aborts Second Starship V3 Launch as Multiple Raptor Engines Fail to Ignite

SpaceX abruptly called off the second launch attempt of its upgraded Starship V3 rocket system on Thursday, just seconds after the booster's engines ignited at the company's South Texas facility. The scrubbed mission marks another delay in the company's ambitious testing program for its next-generation launch vehicle.

Engine Failure Triggers Automatic Abort

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who posted on his social media platform X, several engines failed to start during ignition, which automatically triggered the launch abort sequence. Musk indicated that the company will need to replace two of the engines before making another attempt. The next launch try is not expected until sometime next week.

The countdown had appeared to proceed smoothly, with only a brief hold at T-minus one minute that was quickly resolved. When the countdown reached zero, the launchpad's water deluge system activated and the booster's engines began firing — only for the entire system to shut down moments later. Graphics displayed during SpaceX's live broadcast suggested that four of the company's new Raptor engines did not ignite as intended.

Before the vehicle can be examined in detail, SpaceX must drain all propellant from both the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage. Only then can engineers determine the precise cause of Thursday's failure.

Stock Declines Below IPO Price

The aborted launch came at a sensitive time for SpaceX, which conducted the largest initial public offering in history on June 12, raising more than $85 billion. The company's valuation briefly rivaled those of Amazon and Microsoft following the IPO, but its share price has declined steadily in the weeks since.

On Thursday, SpaceX stock closed below its IPO price of $135 per share. Following news of the launch abort, the stock dropped more than 4% in after-hours trading, compounding investor concerns about the company's near-term trajectory.

May Test Flight Produced Mixed Outcomes

Thursday's attempt was SpaceX's first Starship test launch since the inaugural flight of the V3 variant in May. That earlier mission delivered uneven results. On the positive side, the upgraded rocket successfully lifted off from the launchpad — a significant milestone for a new vehicle configuration — and deployed several Starlink simulators into space.

However, the Super Heavy booster stage experienced a failure before it could attempt a simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to order a review of the booster malfunction. The FAA cleared SpaceX to resume Starship flights earlier this week after identifying multiple causes and implementing corresponding fixes.

The May mission also saw the Starship upper stage lose one engine during its flight to deploy the Starlink simulators. Despite that issue, the upper stage completed its own simulated water landing without further problems.

Starlink Satellites and Orbital Data Center Ambitions

SpaceX had hoped to use Thursday's launch to deploy the first third-generation Starlink satellites. These satellites were designed to burn up approximately 20 minutes after deployment, as Starship has not yet demonstrated the ability to reach and maintain Earth orbit.

Both the upgraded Starship and the latest Starlink technology are central to SpaceX's long-term strategy. The company aims to prove that orbital data centers can be both technologically feasible and economically viable. Starlink currently stands as SpaceX's largest revenue generator and the only profitable segment of its business operations.

As SpaceX works to diagnose and resolve the engine issues that grounded Thursday's launch, the company faces mounting pressure on multiple fronts — from regulatory scrutiny and investor expectations to the technical challenges of advancing its most ambitious rocket system to date. Whether the next attempt, slated for next week, will proceed smoothly remains to be seen. If you found this coverage helpful, consider sharing this article with others who follow space exploration and aerospace developments.

Source: TechCrunch