Space X's 13 th Starship test flight was automatically aborted due to engine failure, and the stock price fell after the market
SpaceX said it plans to try to launch its Starship rocket again in the coming days after Thursday's launch mission was aborted because some engines failed to start. SpaceX shares fell after the news was announced. "Starship" was originally scheduled to carry out its 13th major test mission from SpaceX's Starbase launch site in southern Texas at 5:45 pm local time. However, at the scheduled launch time, thick smoke billowed from the launch tower, but the rocket did not take off. CEO Elon Musk said the engine failure triggered an automatic launch abort alarm and the company then began unloading propellant. Dan Huot, SpaceX communications manager, said, "We will conduct an in-depth investigation with the team to identify the specific cause and determine the time for the next launch attempt." While rocket launch delays are not uncommon in the aerospace industry, this is still a minor setback for Musk. "Starship" is the core platform for realizing many long-term plans, including building a space data center, expanding the Starlink communication network, and sending humans to the moon and Mars. The development process of "Starship" has been full of challenges, encountering multiple explosion accidents, system failures and launch delays. This test was originally SpaceX's first major "Starship" flight test since it completed its high-profile initial public offering (IPO) in June this year. That IPO raised approximately $86 billion. SpaceX shares closed lower during the regular trading session on Thursday and fell further by about 3% after hours. The stock soared after its listing, but has retreated recently. Still, Wall Street analysts overall remain bullish. SpaceX designed Starship to be a fully reusable launch system. No other rocket manufacturer in the world has achieved this goal. In addition, SpaceX also holds a NASA contract worth approximately US$4 billion and plans to use "Starship" to send astronauts to the moon as early as 2028. In order to achieve this goal, the company still needs to complete a number of key tasks, including refueling in space, performing more than ten consecutive launch missions, and verifying the safety of the spacecraft's long-term manned flight. At present, the "Starship" has not completed a complete orbital mission.