Elon Musk’s aerospace company has delayed the launch of its upgraded Version 3 of Starship, initially set for Thursday.
The next-generation rocket was scheduled to take off from its launchpad in southern Texas on May 21, 2026. The launch window opened at 6:30 p.m. EDT (10:30 p.m. GMT).
A last-minute technical issue with a hydraulic pin on the launch tower postponed the debut flight of the upgraded system.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced the problem on X and explained that the company is learning about these new systems as they are executed for the first time, which cannot be troubleshooted in the final seconds to get to launch.
If the issue can be fixed tonight, there will be another launch attempt tomorrow. According to the new timeline, SpaceX said it will launch Starship during a 90-minute window opening at 5:30 p.m. Central Time (2230 GMT) on Friday.
Ahead of Thursday’s launch, Musk managed expectations regarding potential failure, highlighting the large pipeline of V3 ships and boosters currently in production. He noted that any setback would likely delay future Starship test flights by no more than a month.
The development of this fully reusable Starship cost SpaceX over $15 billion. The upgraded system is central to Musk’s ambitions ranging from deep-space exploration to orbital data centers. If successful, the launch will mark the vehicle’s 12th test flight and its first in seven months, crucial for NASA’s Artemis mission where Starship is expected to serve as the Human Landing System for future Moon missions.