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SpaceX's Starship rocket aborts before liftoff, Musk says launch probable next week

Four of 33 Raptor engines failed to ignite, and SpaceX said it will replace two before the next Starship launch attempt.

  • On Thursday, July 16, 2026, SpaceX aborted the 13th test launch of its Starship mega rocket in Starbase, Texas, after some engines failed to start during the 90-minute launch window.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration cleared SpaceX to fly after investigating a previous mishap caused by heat effects and erroneous engine alarm settings. CEO Elon Musk confirmed on X that "some of the engines didn't start, triggering an automatic launch abort."
  • Aboard Starship were 20 next-generation Starlink satellites designed to connect with the broader constellation, scheduled to "demise upon reentry approximately 20 minutes after deployment," SpaceX noted.
  • Shares fell more than 3% in extended trading, sinking below the $135 IPO price as the stock entered a five-day losing streak despite the company raising $85.7 billion during its recent offering.
  • Musk pledged to make another attempt "hopefully in a few days," with the rocket remaining essential for NASA's Artemis test flights and future moon landings.
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The 13th test flight of the Starship rocket, owned by SpaceX, the aerospace company whose CEO is US billionaire Elon Musk, was canceled due to some of its engines failing.

·Istanbul, Türkiye
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Center

SpaceX's shares fell even further this Friday, a day after the company aborted in the last second a test flight of its Starship rocket, and in the midst of volatile negotiation after its outing on the stock market. SpaceX was quoted with a 4.13% drop in pre-market operations, to $125.65, after having dropped more than 3% in post-closure operations. SpaceX was expected to launch its Starship megarocket in a 90-minute span at 17:45 in Texas on Thu…

Right

The company's CEO, Elon Musk, says that a new launch attempt will be made early next week.

·Marousi, Greece
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Radio France Internationale broke the news in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
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