SpaceX Cancels Starship Launch Due to Engine Issues
Originally published Jul 17, 2026
By Stephen Clark · Ars Technica
AI-generated summary based on Ars Technica · Aggregated by OffScreenSpace · Human-reviewed and approved on Jul 17, 2026
Key points
- SpaceX canceled a Starship launch after some engines on the Super Heavy booster failed to ignite.
- The abort occurred during the engine startup sequence as the countdown reached zero.
- Engineers are offloading propellant and planning to replace two Raptor engines before the next attempt.
- The next launch attempt is expected to occur early next week, pending further evaluations.
- This is the 13th full-scale Starship launch and the second to use the Raptor 3 engine design.
A planned test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket was canceled after some engines failed to ignite during the launch sequence. The countdown reached zero on Thursday at the Starbase facility in South Texas, but an automatic abort was triggered due to the malfunction. Engineers are now offloading propellant and preparing for a potential relaunch in the coming days. Elon Musk indicated that two engines may be replaced before the next attempt, with a likely launch window set for early next week.
Read the original story: Ars Technica — by Stephen Clark