SpaceX scrubbed the twelfth major test flight of its redesigned Starship rocket on Thursday moments before liftoff. After several rounds of stopping and starting the countdown clock, engineers were unable to resolve last-minute glitches in time. The company is now targeting Friday for another take-off attempt.
The mission involves the Starship V3 prototype, which SpaceX describes as the most powerful launch system ever developed. This next-generation rocket, which cost an estimated $15 billion to develop, is intended to take astronauts back to the moon. The scheduled launch followed a seven-month pause and months of testing and redesigning.
The trial comes at a critical time as the Elon Musk-led company prepares for a record-breaking stock market debut. The launch attempt occurred just one day after SpaceX revealed plans for its initial public offering and released an IPO prospectus, setting the stage for what is likely to be the largest offering in history.