Why did SpaceX cancel 10th launch of Starship moments before flight was scheduled to begin?

SpaceX has announced that it is canceling the 10th launch of the Starship, just moments before the flight was scheduled to begin.

Published on: Aug 25, 2025, 05:47:51 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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SpaceX has announced that it is canceling the 10th launch of the Starship, just moments before the flight was scheduled to begin. “Standing down from today's tenth flight of Starship to allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems,” SpaceX wrote on X.

A SpaceX Super Heavy booster carrying the Starship spacecraft vents before the launch is scrubbed to allow for troubleshooting of a ground issue at the company's launch complex in Starbase, Texas, U.S., August 24, 2025. REUTERS/Steve Nesius (REUTERS)

The 10th flight was set to lift off from SpaceX's Starbase launch site in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The company has not yet successfully completed a mission for the spacecraft. It is being engineered to be fully reusable and is expected to be able to carry up to 100 people to deep space destinations, according to ABC News.

Previous mishaps

Notably, a Starship shockingly exploded on the launch pad during a pre-flight engine test back in June. The explosion took place less than a month after the ninth test flight ended prematurely when the "Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly" due to various mechanical failures, SpaceX said.

SpaceX even lost the first stage heavy booster during the test. This happened after it appeared to explode while splashing down in the Gulf. SpaceX said that the loss was due to "higher than predicted forces on the booster structure."

As engineers troubleshoot an undisclosed issue, it remains unclear when SpaceX might attempt another launch. SpaceX has liftoff opportunities available for Monday and Tuesday evening, per documentation from the Federal Aviation Administration, CNN reported. Both the launch windows open around 7:10 pm or 7:15 pm ET.

However, it seems unlikely that SpaceX will try again tomorrow. The company has previously had to wait about 48 hours before a liftoff attempt if it had already started fueling the rocket when the launch attempt was scrubbed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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