SpaceX scrubbed the first launch attempt of its third-generation Starship rocket system at Starbase, Texas, and plans another attempt on Friday. The launch is the first real test of upgraded Starship V3 hardware and occurs as SpaceX faces financial pressure ahead of an expected IPO within weeks. The planned flight is Starship’s 12th and follows a previous attempt in October 2025. SpaceX spent months developing and testing V3, including addressing problems such as an explosion during testing of a booster in November. During the Thursday countdown, the rocket was fully fueled, but issues with rocket and launchpad systems caused multiple countdown recycles. Elon Musk said the hydraulic pin holding the launch tower arm did not retract and that SpaceX will try again if it can be fixed tonight.
"SpaceX has scrubbed the first launch of its third-generation Starship rocket system from its headquarters in Starbase, Texas. The company is expected to make another attempt on Friday. It's a crucial launch for the company - and not just because it's the first real test of the upgraded Starship V3 hardware; it also comes at a pivotal moment for SpaceX financially. The company recently filed for an IPO and is expected to go public within weeks, putting added pressure on SpaceX to demonstrate that its next-generation rocket program is making meaningful progress."
"This launch - Starship's 12th - will mark the first flight of Starship since the company's last attempt in October 2025. SpaceX has spent the interim months working on developing and testing this third version of Starship, which has encountered a few problems. In November, for example, one of the first V3 boosters suffered an explosion during testing. The company pushed back the Thursday liftoff a number of times and ultimately tried to send the rocket into space near the end of its expected launch window."
"SpaceX has also made a number of changes that are supposed to make this vers"
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