SpaceX Delays Starship Launch: What This Means for Future Missions

AUSTIN, Texas — SpaceX had to cancel its recent test flight of the Starship/Super Heavy rocket on March 3. They ran into issues just minutes before the countdown was set to finish.

The launch was scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Eastern time from Boca Chica, Texas. During the countdown, SpaceX identified a problem with the Super Heavy booster, which led them to pause at the T-40 second mark. Although the live broadcast team mentioned that the booster issue was sorted, another, unspecified issue arose with the Starship upper stage. After a brief pause, the countdown resumed but was halted again, forcing the team to go back to the T-40 second mark.

Ultimately, the company decided to scrub the launch for the day. They shared on social media, “Standing down from today’s flight test attempt. The Starship team is figuring out the next opportunity to fly.” There’s a chance the next attempt could be as early as March 4.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explained on Twitter, “Too many question marks about this flight and we were 20 bar low on ground spin start pressure. Best to destack, inspect both stages, and try again in a day or two.”

This would have been the first Starship/Super Heavy mission since the Flight 7 mission on January 16, when contact with the rocket was lost around eight and a half minutes after launch. SpaceX revealed the vehicle experienced a “harmonic response” much more intense than expected, which damaged propellant lines. This led to leaks and fires in the rear section, causing almost all the engines there to shut down.

In response, SpaceX made hardware changes and improved operations to avoid similar issues in the future. They added vents and a nitrogen purge system to make the rear section less flammable.

Kate Tice from SpaceX shared during the launch broadcast that every flight helps them learn and improve. “We fly to learn, and we’re learning a lot,” she said.

In addition to addressing the recent launch attempts, SpaceX updated viewers on their plans for Starship operations in Florida. They believe that expanding production and launch capabilities there will help significantly increase their Starship flight rates. They plan to build a new facility, called Gigabay, at Kennedy Space Center, which will be much larger than their current Megabay factory in Texas. This facility will host numerous workstations for integrating and refurbishing Starships.

SpaceX anticipates that the Gigabay will be completed by the end of 2026. They also plan to build a similar facility at their Starbase location. Initially, Starships will be shipped from Starbase to Florida until the new production facilities are ready.

Furthermore, SpaceX is working on a launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The launch tower is already done, and they’ll soon install a cooling and sound suppression system. SpaceX aims to conduct its first Starship launch from Florida in late 2025, pending environmental reviews.

Additionally, they are exploring the possibility of using Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as a second launch site. They recently received a limited “right of entry” to assess the site for potential environmental impact, with plans to release a draft review for public comment this spring.