Elon Musk’s SpaceX faced a setback when the 13 Starship test flight was aborted just before the launch.
SpaceX’s 13th test flight ended abruptly on July 17, when several engines failed to ignite during liftoff at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas.
The rocket, standing 407 feet tall, began ignition at 5:45 pm CT (5.15 AM IST) but it remained on the pad as clouds of smoke and vapour surrounded it.
As reported by Reuters, telemetry showed that four engines did not fire leading to an automatic shutdown of the remaining 29 engines.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explains what went wrong
Address the incident, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) saying, “Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort.
Now offloading propellant.
Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days.” He further confirmed that two Raptor engines will be replaced before the next attempt, adding that most probable timing for relaunch is early next week.
Musk emphasized that the abort system worked as intended, preventing a potentially catastrophic failure.
The aborted SpaceX flight was carrying 20 Starlink V3 satellites, which were designed to briefly link with the existing constellation and test communications.
Neither the Super Heavy booster nor the Starship upper stage were planned for recovery, with both expected to splash down in the ocean after completing the mission.
SpaceX shares fell 3%
After the 13 Starship flight was aborted, SpaceX shared fell by 3% in after-market trading, closing $131.11 — below its IPO price of $135 for the first time.
The dip reflects investor caution as the company continues to test the world’s largest rocket, powered by 33 Raptor engines.
Elon Musk on thousands of SpaceX employees becoming millionaires
In related news, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX says that the company’s blockbuster valuation has likely minted thousands of employee millionaires.
According to a report by Business Insider, speaking on The Sean Hannity Show, Musk explained that early employees who received stock grants now hold shared worth over $1 million following SpaceX’s June IPO, which debuted with a market capitalization of around $2 trillion.
“I’ve always had the philosophy that everyone at the company should receive stock in the company, so that they can participate in the upside,” Musk said.
Musk stressed on the fact that board stock ownership helps align incentives between the company and its workforce.
“As the company prospers, then the people at the company, the employees, also prosper,” he added.
Ahead of the IPO, analysts estimated the listing would create 4,400 new millionaires and more than 400 centimillionaires.
Former employees told Business Insider that SpaceX awarded stock options at hiring, during annual reviews, and upon promotions.
Workers could also sell shares back to the company or investors in private liquidity events held twice a year, providing financial flexibility even before the IPO.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband donated roughly $300 million worth of company stock to Trump Accounts, a government initiative that provides $1,000 to every American child born between 2025 and 2028.
The move won praise from President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
