SpaceX aborts Starship V3 launch after engine ignition failure
SpaceX aborted the second Starship V3 test flight on Thursday after an engine ignition failure, causing company shares to drop below their IPO price.
1. Launch Abort Details
SpaceX aborted the second test launch of its upgraded Starship V3 rocket on Thursday, July 16, 2026, shortly after the booster engines ignited at the company’s South Texas facility. CEO Elon Musk stated that an automatic launch abort was triggered because some of the engines failed to start. Reports indicate that four of the new Raptor engines did not fire upon ignition. The company must now offload propellant from the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage to investigate the issue. SpaceX does not intend to attempt another launch until next week.
2. Mission Objectives and Context
The mission aimed to deploy the first third-generation Starlink satellites. These satellites are designed to burn up shortly after deployment, as the Starship system has not yet demonstrated the capability to reach Earth orbit. This attempt followed a mixed-results test flight in May, which saw the successful deployment of Starlink simulators but included a booster failure that required an FAA-ordered review. The Starship and Starlink programs are central to SpaceX’s goal of establishing viable orbital data centers.
3. Financial Impact
The aborted launch occurred during a period of financial volatility for the company. SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026, in a record-breaking IPO that raised over $85 billion. Since that time, the company's stock has experienced a steady decline. Following the aborted launch on Thursday, SpaceX stock fell more than 4% in after-hours trading, closing below its initial IPO price of $135.