All systems were a go until the last second. It looked good to go. But moments after the launch pad’s water deluge system (flame diverter) released water, the 33 Raptor engines ignited for less than a second, and all engines were shut off (video below).
This was a strange and unexpected behavior from the Super Heavy Raptor engines in a live flight. Starship’s 13th Flight test (IFT-13) was called an abort/scrub today.
The live streams and live commentary coverage of the Flight 13 launch were short today. The unlooked-for scenario killed the excitement. SpaceX also shut off the live stream early.
SpaceX suddenly announced a stand-off from today’s flight. Minutes later, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explained the reason on X, saying:
Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort.
Now offloading propellant.
Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days.
Stay tuned for future updates on Starship and SpaceX. Follow us on:
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