SpaceX’s newly upgraded Starship Version 3 rocket — the largest and most powerful of its kind — aborted its highly anticipated test flight Thursday.
The towering 407-feet tall rocket was placed on a hold due to an issue with the temperature of the propellants inside the tanks before crews officially called off the launch at 7:40 p.m. EST.
“New rocket, new pad, we’re learning a lot about these systems as we execute them for the first time,” a SpaceX representative explained during the launch livestream.
Thursday’s attempt was reclassified as a “wet dress rehearsal, ” with the SpaceX rep announcing that they will try to launch again Friday.
The rocket was set to take off from SpaceX’s Starbase headquarters in Texas, with the company eyeing the upgrades for future missions to the moon and Mars.
The test flight, the company’s 12th, is particularly focused on the upgrades made to the rocket’s Super Heavy boosters’ Raptor engines, with a redesigned propulsion system now able to carry more fuel for long-duration missions.
The test launch comes just weeks before CEO Elon Musk is expected to take SpaceX to the stock market with an initial public offering.
With its new upgrades, Starship V3 may be the final model SpaceX lands on to finally reach orbit and refuel its upper stage midflight, a complex task essential for lengthy missions off Earth.
The Starship V3 stands four feet taller than its predecessor, and more powerful than all other previous versions.
Musk has touted Starship as the vehicle that will take a new generation of astronauts to the moon and Mars, with the program central to NASA’s Artemis moon program.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
