Launch attempt on July 16 ended
On Thursday, July 16, the spaceflight company SpaceX called off the thirteenth test flight of its giant Starship launch vehicle just before liftoff was due to occur. Video documentation of the event shows the termination took place during the closing seconds of the launch sequence.
No statement has been issued regarding the specific reason for the halt. It also remains uncertain when the firm will schedule the next attempt for this flight test, as no revised timeline has been announced.
Role of the test campaign
The Starship architecture is a cornerstone of SpaceX's broader exploration plans, including crewed lunar and Martian missions. Each flight trial provides data on vehicle behavior and operational procedures under actual launch conditions. While a last-instant abort is not routine, such safeguards are built into the protocols for heavy-lift rockets during development.
- Flight 13 of Starship affected
- Stop executed in final countdown second
- No follow-up launch date disclosed