SpaceX scrubs its Starship rocket launch

BOCA CHICA, Texas - SpaceX called off its attempt to launch its Starship rocket on Monday.

This was intended to be its first test since an explosion in January.

SpaceX launch

BOCA CHICA BEACH, TEXAS - MARCH 03: SpaceX Starship Flight 8 is stationed near Orbital Launch Pad A ahead of launch at Boca Chica beach on March 03, 2025 in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has granted clearance for

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What we know:

Originally, the Starship rocket was expected to take off from SpaceX's Starbase launch pad, outside of Brownsville, Texas, for its eighth test flight.

READ MORE: SpaceX's Starbase one step closer to becoming official Texas town

However, the company announced Monday evening it was standing down from the flight test.

What we don't know:

The company did not announce when the next test flight would take place.

Previous Starship Test Flight

The backstory:

The company made its seventh test flight of Starship and their Super Heavy rocket on Jan. 16, 2025. 

After launch, the Starship successfully separated from the booster rocket, but started experiencing problems two minutes later when a flash was seen in the rear of the ship between the ship's liquid oxygen tank and heat shield. Two minutes after that, a fire started in that section, leading to engine shutdowns and eventually triggering the ship's safety system, which led to the ship breaking apart.

In a report issued by SpaceX, the company said the ship's safety system and "Flight Termination System" worked as they were intended when the ship exploded.

"The most probable root cause for the loss of ship was identified as a harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing, which led to increased stress on hardware in the propulsion system," SpaceX said. "The subsequent propellant leaks exceeded the venting capability of the ship’s attic area and resulted in sustained fires."

Improvements as a result of the investigation

Following the explosion, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation.

SpaceX officials said they conducted an "extended duration static fire" with the Starship they intend to use for its eighth test flight. They said they used multiple engine thrust levels and hardware configurations to recreate the vibration levels from the failed flight.

The results have led to a change in the fuel lines to the engines and adjustments to the fuel temperature.

The company is also making changes to the rear portion that caught on fire during the last launch by adding more vents and a new purge system.