SpaceX suddenly aborts second Starship V3 launch after ignition
4:01 PM PDT · July 16, 2026
SpaceX abruptly aborted the second attempted launch of its upgraded Starship rocket system on Thursday, just moments after the booster ignited at the company's complex in South Texas.
The company was trying to return to flight just a few weeks after the first-ever launch of Starship V3 in May.
CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X that "[s]ome of the engines didn't start, triggering an automatic launch abort" and that the company would try again "hopefully in a few days."
This is also the first Starship test launch since SpaceX went public on June 12 in the largest IPO in history. The company raised more than $85 billion in the transaction and briefly touched the valuations of Amazon and Microsoft, though its stock has steadily fallen in the intervening month.
On Thursday, SpaceX's stock price closed below its IPO price of $135. Its stock sank more than 4% in after-hours trading after the aborted launch before paring losses.
This story is developing…
