SpaceX postponed Thursday’s scheduled test flight of its upgraded Starship Version 3 megarocket after multiple countdown holds and a last-minute technical issue at the Starbase launch site in South Texas. The company is now targeting Friday, May 22, for the launch attempt. SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot cited unresolved glitches during the livestream. Elon Musk posted on X that a hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract properly.
Engineers worked overnight on the issue, clearing the way for a new attempt during a launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. local time (2230 GMT). This will be the first flight of the third-generation Starship following a seven-month hiatus. The fully stacked rocket stands just over 407 feet (124 meters) tall. Mission objectives include demonstrating redesigned systems for improved reliability and reusability. The Super Heavy booster is planned to splash down off the Texas coast, while the upper stage will deploy 20 mock satellites and two instrumented Starlink satellites to assess the heat shield.
The upper stage will follow a suborbital path before a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean, with the full test lasting about 65 minutes. The timing carries significant commercial weight. SpaceX filed for an initial public offering with U.S. regulators just before the original attempt, potentially one of the largest IPOs in history. The filing details financials, risks, and strategy for investors as the company advances its ambitious vision for fully reusable space transportation.
The flight also remains critical for NASA’s Artemis program. SpaceX is developing a modified Starship variant as a lunar lander under contract. With NASA targeting in-orbit rendezvous tests in 2027 and a crewed Moon landing by the end of 2028 amid China’s competing 2030 timeline, the test underscores the high expectations on private partners. Experts highlight ongoing challenges such as in-orbit refueling, but recent Starship flights have shown steady progress despite earlier explosive setbacks. NASA is expected to provide a lunar exploration update in the coming days.