SpaceX scrubbed Starship V3's second launch attempt after engine ignition on July 16.
Why it matters: Another scrub can push back Starship test cadence and delay the timeline for the next flight data SpaceX needs to move the program forward. The mission was also meant to support the company's broader launch and satellite plans.
- SpaceX aborted Flight 13 from Starbase in South Texas after the booster engines began ignition but before liftoff.
- Elon Musk said on X that some engines did not start, triggering an automatic launch abort.
- SpaceX said it will replace two engines before trying again, and Reuters reported the mission was delayed by at least 24 hours.
- The planned flight was meant to deploy the first third-generation Starlink satellites.
SpaceX scrubbed its Starship V3 test flight on July 16, 2026, after the booster engines began ignition at Starbase in Cameron County, Texas, but before liftoff. AP reported the vehicle came within about a second of launch before the abort, and SpaceX's webcast graphics showed four of the 33 Raptor engines did not ignite. AP
Elon Musk wrote on X that "Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort." He added, "Now offloading propellant," and said SpaceX would replace two engines before another attempt. X
The scrub came during the second Starship V3 launch attempt. SpaceX said Flight 12 in May 2026 was the first flight of Starship and Super Heavy V3 and the first from Pad 2, with Raptor 3 engines on board. SpaceX
Reuters reported the mission was pushed back by at least 24 hours while SpaceX studies the cause. The planned flight was intended to deploy the first third-generation Starlink satellites. Reuters
By the numbers
- 33 - Raptor engines on the Starship Super Heavy booster
- 4 - engines that did not ignite, per SpaceX's webcast graphics
- 24 hours - minimum delay Reuters reported after the scrub
Yes, but: SpaceX has not given a fuller public explanation of what caused the abort.
What's next: SpaceX is expected to make another launch attempt after replacing two engines and studying the cause.