SpaceX Postpones Eighth Starship Test Flight at the Last Minute
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Science
March 4, 2025 06:00
boca chica, texas, usa - SpaceX cancels the launch of a Starship rocket due to undisclosed issues, marking the eighth test flight delay.
SpaceX Delays Eighth Starship Test Flight
SpaceX, the space company founded by Elon Musk, postponed the launch of a Starship rocket from Boca Chica, Texas, citing undisclosed issues. This delay marks the eighth test flight of the Starship, following a failed seventh test in January.
The recent test, planned to carry four simulated Starlink satellites into orbit, was halted just 40 seconds before liftoff, as seen on a live stream. The exact rescheduled launch date remains uncertain.
During the previous test about six weeks ago, a Starship rocket exploded above the Atlantic Ocean after eight minutes, scattering debris near the Turks and Caicos Islands and causing flight diversions. Following this incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated an investigation, granting SpaceX clearance for another test last week.
Starship, designed to facilitate crewed missions to the moon and Mars, aims to revolutionize space travel by enabling the reuse of both the spacecraft and the rocket upon returning to Earth. With a capacity to transport over one hundred tons of cargo in the future, Starship stands as the most powerful rocket ever developed.