SpaceX nearly launched its newest, largest Starship on a test flight from Starbase, Texas, but problems with the brand-new launch pad halted the countdown. The 407-foot rocket was scheduled to begin a space-skimming trajectory from Texas extending halfway around the world. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk later said the hydraulic pin holding the launch tower’s arm in place did not retract. If the issue can be fixed quickly, another attempt may occur the following day. The flight would release 20 mock Starlink satellites before controlled entry into the Indian Ocean after about an hour. It would be the 12th Starship test flight and the first since last fall, and NASA plans to use a later version to land astronauts on the moon.
"SpaceX got within a half-minute of launching its newest and biggest Starship on a test flight Thursday evening before a cascade of problems halted the countdown. The 407-foot (124-meter) rocket was poised to begin a space-skimming journey from Texas extending halfway around the world. But issues cropped up with the brand-new pad at Starbase near the Mexican border, and the company ran out of time."
"SpaceX CEO Elon Musk later said the hydraulic pin holding the launch tower's arm in place did not retract. If the problem can be fixed quickly, another launch attempt will be made Friday, he noted. SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight that was later delayed, in Starbase, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026."
"Starship holds 20 mock Starlink satellites to be released before the spacecraft's controlled entry into the Indian Ocean at the end of the hourlong flight. It will be the 12th test flight for a Starship and the first since last fall. NASA is relying on this latest version of Starship to land astronauts on the moon in a few years."
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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