SpaceX had to interrupt the pre-launch countdown and postpone the launch of the Starship super-heavy rocket. The reason was technical problems with the Super Heavy booster.
The main goal of Starship’s eighth flight is to fulfill the program of the previous test, which ended with an accident and the loss of the spacecraft. The super-heavy rocket will be launched from the Starbase test facility in Texas. After separation, the Super Heavy booster should return to the launch site where it will be picked up by the Mechazilla turret. Starship will be launched into an unclosed orbit, perform a series of experiments and technology demonstrations, and then land in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX was going to launch Starship on March 4. The rocket was installed on the launch pad of the Starbase test site in Boca Chica and fueled. However, during the pre-launch countdown, engineers reported a problem with the Super Heavy booster, which forced it to be interrupted.
The problem was subsequently resolved and the countdown resumed. However, another malfunction with the Super Heavy was discovered shortly after that, after which a final decision was made to abandon the launch attempt.
Standing down from today’s flight test attempt. Starship team is determining the next best available opportunity to fly
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 3, 2025
After the Starship and Super Heavy fuel tanks are emptied, engineers will inspect them to figure out the cause of the malfunctions. SpaceX has not announced yet when the new attempt to launch the super-heavy rocket will take place, but it’s probably a matter of days.
We previously covered how engineers prepared Starship for a new flight and why its crashes actually lead to progress.
