SpaceX Scrubs 13th Starship Test After Engine Failure, Sending Shares Down 3%
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 16
SpaceX Scrubs 13th Starship Test After Engine Failure, Sending Shares Down 3%
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 16
Summary
A launch hold halted SpaceX's 13th Starship test within minutes of Thursday's 6:45 p.m. ET window after some engines failed to start, triggering an automatic abort.
Elon Musk said SpaceX will try again "hopefully in a few days," after the booster shut down its engines as ignition began at the Starbase site in South Texas.
The flight would have been the first for Starship V3 since SpaceX's record $85.7 billion IPO and was set to carry 20 next-generation Starlink satellites.
FAA clearance had arrived Monday after May's V3 test ended with booster landing-engine failures and a Gulf of Mexico plunge, underscoring the rocket's importance to Starlink expansion and NASA's Artemis moon program.
Can SpaceX's costly AI bet justify its valuation amid launch failures and a slumping stock price?
Did the launch abort prove Starship is safer, despite the public failure and subsequent stock drop?
With Starship engine failures persisting, is NASA's 2028 Artemis moon landing mission now in serious doubt?
SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Scrub: Impacts on NASA, Investors, and the Future of Commercial Space
Overview
On July 16, 2026, SpaceX scrubbed the highly anticipated 13th Starship test flight after an automatic shutdown, despite extensive preparations and Booster 20 being ready on the launch pad at Starbase, Texas. This setback temporarily paused Starship’s development and testing, prompting further technical analysis to understand the cause. The delay highlights the challenges of SpaceX’s ambitious goals, as Starship is crucial for NASA’s lunar missions, Starlink expansion, and future Mars plans. The scrub also impacted investor sentiment, given SpaceX’s recent IPO and the importance of consistent test success for both financial performance and the broader space industry.