WASHINGTON (Reuters) -SpaceX on Monday called off its eighth Starship test flight from Texas over an unspecified issue on the rocket system’s core, delaying for at least 24 hours the company’s attempt to deploy mock Starlink satellites in space for the first time.
The test mission would have been the first Starship launch since a January mission ended eight minutes into flight when Starship, atop a rocket booster, exploded over the Caribbean, sending fiery debris streaking over the Turks and Caicos Islands and prompting a federal probe.
The postponement, or “scrub,” occurred during a pause to the launch countdown 40 seconds before liftoff that was triggered so SpaceX employees could investigate an issue on the rocket, according to a company live stream.
SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot said the company could try to launch again at the same time on Tuesday, depending on the issue.
“Too many question marks about this flight,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on his social media platform X. “Best to destack, inspect both stages and try again in a day or two.”
(Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Chris Reese and Gerry Doyle)
