SpaceX has aborted the latest launch of Starship in what was set to be a crucial test of the Mars-bound rocket.
The lift off of the 123-metre-tall rocket, which is the biggest rocket ever built, was scrubbed just before 6pm local time (12am GMT) on Monday at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas.
It was not immediately clear what caused the launch team to stand down, which took place with 40 seconds left on the countdown.
“Standing down from today’s flight test attempt,” SpaceX posted to X. “Starship team is determining the next best available opportunity to fly.”
The setback comes just six weeks after the previous Starship test ended in an explosion over the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The eighth test flight was meant to follow the same trajectory as previous Starship missions, though it included new objectives that had never before been achieved.
This included the first ever deployment of a payload into orbit, with four dummy Starlink satellites set to be released during the 90-minute flight test.
The huge payload capacity of Starship means that it will be charged with delivering SpaceX’s next-generation Starlink satellites into orbit when operational, though the primary goal for the rocket is to conduct missions to Mars.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk has said he hopes to establish a permanent human colony on the Red Planet by 2050, with plans to build a fleet of thousands of Starship rockets in order ferry crews and cargo throughout the Solar System.
Watch Starship's eighth flight test → https://t.co/alyJTRtgTh https://t.co/hlpEF4ICyT
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 2, 2025
An investigation into the failed flight test on 16 January remains ongoing, though the US Federal Aviation Administration has authorised SpaceX to continue performing Starship missions.
“After completing the required and comprehensive safety review, the FAA determined the SpaceX Starship vehicle can return to flight operations,” an FAA spokesperson told The Independent ahead of the latest Starship launch.
“The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight.”
