Space travel "Starship" test attempt aborted shortly before launch
The eighth test attempt of the largest rocket system ever built in the history of space travel has been aborted shortly before launch. The countdown to the launch of the "Starship" at the spaceport in the US state of Texas was already underway.
04.03.2025, 02:19
SDA
However, it was then stopped around half a minute before the planned lift-off, as could be seen in the livestream. In the end, the launch attempt was stopped completely.
"We are not going ahead with today's test flight," announced tech billionaire Elon Musk's private space company SpaceX via the online platform X, which he also owns. "The Starship team is determining the next best flight option." SpaceX did not initially provide any details about the cause of the abort.
"Starship" is taller than the Statue of Liberty
The rocket system has already been successfully tested seven times in different forms since April 2023. It consists of two parts that separate after launch: The approximately 70-meter-long "Super Heavy" booster and the upper stage, also called "Starship", which measures around 50 meters. Overall, the system is larger than the Statue of Liberty.
Both parts, the booster and the spaceship, are designed so that they can be reused after returning to Earth. The US space agency NASA wants to use the "Starship" to send astronauts to the moon, while SpaceX is pursuing the goal of one day reaching Mars.
