Elon Musk’s SpaceX postponed the launch of Starship’s tenth mission on Sunday after encountering an issue at its Texas launch site, delaying its attempt to achieve long-awaited development milestones.
The 232-foot Super Heavy booster and its 171-foot Starship upper stage were stacked on the launch mount at SpaceX’s Starbase facility and were being fuelled ahead of a planned liftoff at 7:35 p.m. ET (2335 GMT). However, about 30 minutes before launch, the company announced on X that it was standing down to address a ground systems problem.
Musk had been expected to share an update on Starship’s progress before the launch, but the live stream placeholder was removed, indicating the event had been cancelled. According to the company’s website, SpaceX is now aiming for the next launch attempt as soon as Monday, August 25.
The delay adds to a series of challenges in the development of Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation rocket central to its future launch business and Musk’s long-term Mars ambitions. The programme has faced multiple setbacks this year, including two failures early in flight, another failure in orbit during its ninth mission, and a major test stand explosion in June that scattered debris into neighbouring Mexican territory.
Despite these issues, SpaceX continues to build new Starships rapidly at its Starbase production facilities, sticking to its test-to-failure development strategy. NASA has set its sights on using the rocket by 2027 for the first crewed lunar landing since the Apollo programme.
The latest version of Starship includes significant upgrades such as higher thrust, a stronger heat shield, and reinforced steering flaps designed to improve atmospheric reentry. These improvements are considered vital for the rocket’s rapid reusability, a key goal Musk has consistently pursued.
On its website, SpaceX explained: “Starship’s reentry profile is designed to intentionally stress the structural limits of the upper stage’s rear flaps while at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure.”
The continued setbacks highlight the technical complexity of the world’s most powerful rocket, but SpaceX remains focused on advancing towards its ambitious targets.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
