SpaceX Cancels Starship Test Flight Minutes Before Launch

SpaceX aborted the highly anticipated 10th test flight of its Starship rocket on August 25, 2025, after engineers reported a last-minute issue with ground systems.

The two-stage rocket, the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, had been fully stacked and loaded with propellant at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas. Liftoff was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time but was halted about 15 minutes before launch. SpaceX later said it was «standing down to troubleshoot» and did not confirm a new date, though local road closures suggest a possible retry this week.

This setback adds to a troubled year for Starship, which has yet to complete a clean test flight in 2025. Previous attempts ended in explosions, orbital failures, and debris scattering into Mexican territory.

The test was expected to demonstrate a near-orbital flight, booster recovery in the Gulf of Mexico, and a simulated satellite deployment. Success is crucial for NASA’s Artemis program, which depends on Starship to land astronauts on the Moon by 2027.

Despite repeated delays, SpaceX continues to refine Starship’s design, adding stronger heat shields, more durable flaps, and increased thrust. The rocket remains central to Elon Musk’s ambitions of building a reusable fleet capable of missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Kursiv Uzbekistan reports that SpaceX launched its redesigned Starship rocket on Monday, marking the 10th flight test of the world’s largest spacecraft and a crucial step in Elon Musk’s long-term vision to reach Mars.