SpaceX postpones Starship launch: Engine problems force abort

Preparations and the role of the US aviation authority

SpaceX chief Elon Musk had announced that two engines would be replaced. Initially, he had scheduled the next launch attempt a day later, but then corrected himself to Thursday (local time). The US aviation authority had signed off on the investigation into the problems from the previous attempt before the new launch window was set.

During the current test flight, Starship is to deploy 20 third-generation Starlink satellites in space for the first time. Six of them are equipped with cameras and are intended to film Starship – primarily to analyze the heat shield. "Weil die sich danach aber auf derselben Bahn wie das Starship befinden werden, sollen sie dann nach etwa 20 Minuten verglühen", SpaceX explained.

Mission profile: Booster, heat shield, and Starlink satellites

The giant rocket's booster is to land back in the Gulf of Mexico after launch. The spacecraft itself is intended to make a controlled crash into the Indian Ocean. The flight thus follows the pattern of earlier test missions, which focused on recovering the lower stage and the controlled re-entry of the upper stage.

The launch attempt is the first since SpaceX's record-breaking IPO. After the abort, SpaceX's share price dropped noticeably once again. It now stands at 124 US dollars, well below the issue price from mid-June. Investors thus responded perceptibly to the renewed delay of the ambitious test program.

Market reaction after the record IPO

As SpaceX itself announced, the new launch window is based on information from the US space group's website. The company thereby indirectly confirmed the postponed schedule without providing further technical details.

Last year there were a total of five Starship test flights, two of which were successful. In 2024, there were four launches, three of which were successful. The current postponement thus fits into a series of attempts that have so far been typical for the program.

With the attempt now planned, SpaceX wants to once again prove that the giant rocket can be used to transport satellites. If the flight proceeds as planned, it would be the first use of Starship to deploy operational Starlink satellites and an important step on the way to regular commercial missions.