SpaceX has called off the inaugural launch of its third-generation Starship rocket system from its Starbase facility in Texas.

The company is now expected to try again on Friday.

The mission is a key milestone for SpaceX, marking the first flight test of its upgraded Starship V3 hardware. It also comes at a sensitive time for the company financially, as it has recently filed for an IPO and could go public in the coming weeks.

That development places additional pressure on SpaceX to demonstrate steady progress on its next-generation rocket program.

This 12th Starship launch would be the first since SpaceX’s previous attempt in October 2025.

In the months since, the company has been developing and testing its third-generation Starship system, which has faced several setbacks.

In November, for instance, one of the early V3 boosters exploded during a test.

The Thursday launch attempt was delayed multiple times, with SpaceX ultimately trying to lift off near the close of the planned launch window.

Starship and its massive booster were fully fueled, and the countdown had dropped below T-minus 40 seconds, but multiple issues with the rocket and launchpad systems forced SpaceX to repeatedly recycle the countdown.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X that the “hydraulic pin holding the [launch] tower arm in place did not retract.”

He added that the company would try again on Friday at 5:30 p.m. local time, if the issue “can be fixed tonight.”

This latest version of Starship marks a major upgrade in both vehicle design and launchpad infrastructure. Among the key improvements are SpaceX’s third-generation Raptor engines, which deliver greater thrust in a more streamlined configuration.

The V3 Starship booster is also designed to be easier for the launch tower to catch and features one fewer grid fin.

SpaceX has introduced several additional refinements aimed at improving overall reliability for this iteration of the system.