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

By Reuters Reuters
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster stand at pad 2 at sunrise before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster stand at pad 2 at sunrise before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Steve Nesius Reuters

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WASHINGTON - SpaceX's Starship rocket triggered a last-second abort before liftoff for its 13th flight test from Texas on Thursday as some of its 33 engines failed to start, with CEO Elon Musk saying it will likely try to launch again early next week.

Shares of SpaceX, which went public last month, fell about 3% in aftermarket trading following the scrubbed launch. The stock ended at $131.11 on Thursday, closing below its IPO price of $135 for the first time since listing.

"Some of the engines didn't start, triggering an automatic launch abort," Musk said in a post on X, without disclosing the number of engines on the Super Heavy rocket that did not start. "To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week."

The launch abort came less than a second before Starship's planned liftoff from Starbase, SpaceX's company town in south Texas, at 5:45 p.m. CT (2245 GMT). The rocket's engines ignited but cut off shortly after.

"We did trigger a hold on the booster that aborted our liftoff as we were starting to light those Raptor engines," said SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot, speaking on the company's live stream after the launch was scrubbed.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette and Chris Thomas; Editing by Chris Reese and Jamie Freed)

The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster auto-aborts at ignition before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster auto-aborts at ignition before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius Steve Nesius Reuters
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster stand at pad 2 at sunrise before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster stand at pad 2 at sunrise before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius Steve Nesius Reuters
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster stand at pad 2 at sunrise before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster stand at pad 2 at sunrise before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius Steve Nesius Reuters
SpaceX employees are reflected in the side panel of a Tesla Cyber Truck as they gather near the Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster at pad 2 before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
SpaceX employees are reflected in the side panel of a Tesla Cyber Truck as they gather near the Starship and Super Heavy v3 Booster at pad 2 before its 13th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Steve Nesius Steve Nesius Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 6:27 AM.

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