SpaceX Aborts Second Starship V3 Launch After Engine Failure
The abort, caused by multiple Raptor engines that failed to ignite, delays the Starship V3 program that SpaceX plans to use for deploying orbital data centers, and comes just weeks after the company's IPO.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
SpaceX attempted the second launch of its Starship V3 rocket on July 16 but aborted immediately after booster ignition. Elon Musk said some engines failed to start, triggering an automatic abort. Two Raptor engines will be replaced, and the next launch is set for early next week. The test was the first since SpaceX's IPO in June.
The launch attempt on July 16 was live-streamed on SpaceX's X account. Smoke billowed from the rocket about two minutes before the countdown, and a large white cloud erupted two seconds before zero. The rocket did not lift off. Musk posted that some engines did not start, so the launch was automatically aborted, and propellant was being vented. He said two Raptor engines will be removed and replaced, with a new launch window likely early next week. The test was the first Starship V3 launch attempt since SpaceX's IPO in June, which raised approximately 12 trillion yen. Starship V3 is expected to play a role in SpaceX's plans to deploy orbital data centers.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.