SpaceX came tantalisingly close to launching the first flight of its taller, more powerful Starship V3 rocket, but faced a last-minute issue that saw them stand down for another day.
The countdown clock paused just 40 seconds before liftoff due to a hydraulic pin failure on an umbilical arm. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested the problem could be fixed in time for Friday's launch window, opening at 5:30 pm CDT (22:30 UTC).
The upcoming test will mark a significant milestone from Starbase, Texas – the first liftoff from this brand new launch pad. This is the 12th full-scale test flight of Starship and its Super Heavy booster but the first to feature an overhauled design, known as Starship Version 3.
Starship V3 boasts several upgrades including 39 more efficient Raptor engines with higher thrust, a revamped propulsion system, three larger grid fins, and a reusable hot staging ring permanently attached to the Super Heavy booster. These changes are part of SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to make Starship a viable tool for space exploration and commercial operations.
