SpaceX · Starlink · Elon Musk · CNBC Technology
SpaceX scrubs test flight of large Starship rocket, will retry Friday
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SpaceX scrubbed the launch of its massive Starship rocket Thursday evening, and will try again for its 12th test flight on Friday.
Key facts
- The connectivity unit, which consists mostly of Starlink, brought in sales of $11.4 billion and operating income of $4.4 billion in 2025
- Elon Musk's reusable rocket maker has spent more than $15 billion on its Starship program, according to Wednesday's filing
- Starship V3 stands 408 feet tall when fully stacked, and features new engines that should make it a stronger rocket, with 18 million pounds of thrust
- NASA is also betting that Starship will serve as the lander to carry its astronauts to the moon on its Artemis IV mission, currently scheduled for early 2028
Summary
A 90-minute launch window opened at 6:30 p.m. The rescheduled launch will represent the debut of Starship V3, which "is designed to deliver 100 metric tons to Earth's orbit in a fully reusable configuration while enabling rapid turnaround times akin to commercial aviation," SpaceX said in its IPO prospectus on Wednesday. Elon Musk's reusable rocket maker has spent more than $15 billion on its Starship program, according to Wednesday's filing. The latest version of the Starship rocket is slated to launch from a newly designed pad at SpaceX's facility in Starbase, Texas, an official company town previously known as Boca Chica.