SpaceX Starship V3 rocket launch unexpectedly aborted

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, aborted the launch of its upgraded third-generation (V3) Starship rocket system at its South Texas test site on Thursday during the final seconds. After the rocket engines ignited, an automatic system unexpectedly decided to halt the process. This failure could have a significant impact on the company's technological and financial plans. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

Elon Musk stated on his X social media page that the automatic protection system was triggered because some engines failed to start. "Some engines did not ignite, which led to an automatic abort of the launch. We hope to try again in a few days," the billionaire wrote. As part of this mission, SpaceX planned to launch its third-generation Starlink satellites into space for the first time.

Technical malfunctions and flight details

The launch preparation process was initially proceeding according to plan. There was a brief pause in the final minute of the countdown, but the issue was quickly resolved and the process continued. However, when the water deluge system activated and the Super Heavy booster engines ignited, the system shut down completely. According to graphic data from the SpaceX broadcast, four new Raptor engines failed to ignite.

Recall that this was the second launch attempt for the Starship V3 model. The first test flight in May ended with mixed results. While the rocket was able to lift off from the pad, the Super Heavy booster failed during its landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Following that, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted an investigation and only granted permission for a re-flight earlier this week.

Financial losses and market reaction

This failed attempt came at an inconvenient time for SpaceX. The company held a historic IPO on June 12, raising over $85 billion. Although the company's valuation approached that of giants like Amazon and Microsoft at the time, share prices have continued to decline over the past month.

Following the failed launch on Thursday, SpaceX shares fell by more than 4% after trading closed. Currently, the stock price has fallen below the $135 mark seen at the time of the IPO. This is raising concerns among investors regarding the company's near-term plans.

Starship and Starlink projects are the main pillars of SpaceX's strategy. The company wants to prove that the "orbital data centers" concept is economically viable. Starlink remains the most profitable and only revenue-generating part of SpaceX's business, making the successful deployment of new-generation satellites vital for the company.